The European Commission has launched a new formal investigation into the platform X under the Digital Services Act (DSA), focusing on the integration and operation of its artificial intelligence tool, Grok. At the same time, the Commission has expanded an ongoing probe, initiated in December 2023, regarding X’s compliance with obligations to manage risks associated with recommender systems.
The December 2023 investigation concerned X’s notification and action mechanisms, measures against illegal content, and risks arising from recommendation systems. These procedures also addressed misleading design, lack of advertising transparency, and insufficient access for researchers - issues for which the Commission imposed its first major fine of €120 million in December 2025. Last September, X was also asked to provide information regarding Grok, including antisemitic content produced by the @grok account in mid-2025.
Abuse of miinors
Building on this, the new procedure examines whether the company adequately assessed and mitigated risks arising from Grok’s functions within the EU, particularly the dissemination of illegal content such as deepfakes, or material that may constitute sexual abuse of minors and non-consensual “digital nudes” of women and children.
According to the Commission, these concerns have already been documented, and the investigation will assess whether X complies with its DSA obligations to thoroughly evaluate and mitigate systemic risks, as well as to prepare and submit a risk assessment report to the Commission before deploying Grok functions that critically affect the platform’s risk profile.
If violations are confirmed, they would constitute breaches of Articles 34(1) and (2), 35(1), and 42(2) of the DSA. The Commission will conduct an in-depth, priority investigation, stressing that the opening of formal proceedings does not prejudge the final outcome.
Deepfakes
Thomas Renier, spokesperson for the European Commission on technology, emphasised that the investigation was opened because X may have violated the DSA. “In recent months, we have seen antisemitic content, non-consensual deepfakes of women, and material depicting sexual abuse of minors. In Europe, no company can profit by violating our fundamental rights,” he said. He added that the fact some Grok functions were restricted to subscribers does not change anything: “Child abuse material is not a ‘premium feature’. It has no place in Europe.”
Paula Pinio, Chief Spokesperson for the European Commission, noted that protecting children online is a top priority for the Commission President. “Why would we accept online content that we would never tolerate offline?” she asked, adding that child protection cannot be left to tech companies that violate rights and monetise them. She stressed that the harm caused by such illegal imagery is very real and requires stronger measures both online and offline.
The Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, Henna Virkunen, stated that “sexual deepfakes of women and children constitute a violent and unacceptable form of humiliation,” and that the investigation will determine whether X respected European citizens’ rights or treated them as “collateral damage.”