Data Protection Commission opens inquiry into X over Grok AI

Eva Osborne

The Data Protection Commission (DPC) has announced that it has opened an inquiry into X over the "apparent creation and publication" of sexualised images, including children.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DPC said: "The inquiry concerns the apparent creation, and publication on the X platform, of potentially harmful, non-consensual intimate and/or sexualised images, containing or otherwise involving the processing of personal data of EU/EEA data subjects, including children, using generative artificial intelligence functionality associated with the Grok large language model within the X platform."

The DPC said the decision to commence the inquiry was notified to X on Monday.

The purpose of the inquiry is to determine whether XIUC has complied with its obligations under the GDPR.

On announcing the commencement of the inquiry, deputy commissioner Graham Doyle said: “The DPC has been engaging with XIUC since media reports first emerged a number of weeks ago concerning the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualised images of real people, including children.

"As the Lead Supervisory Authority for XIUC across the EU/EEA, the DPC has commenced a large-scale inquiry which will examine XIUC’s compliance with some of their fundamental obligations under the GDPR in relation to the matters at hand.”