EU increases pressure on Musk’s X over AI images of children
Brussels (dpa) – After sexualized AI images of children appeared on the online platform X, the EU is taking the next step in investigations against the company owned by Elon Musk. The European Commission has asked the US company not to destroy internal documents on the artificial intelligence Grok, but to keep them until the end of the year, a spokesperson said. There are doubts as to whether the company is complying with European digital laws.
Users of X can currently ask the AI chatbot Grok to generate revealing images of people. Grok often complies with the request. In doing so, boundaries have also been crossed: on New Year’s Eve, the chatbot apologized for having created and shared an image of two teenage girls “in sexualized outfits.”
EU imposed a fine on X in December – more could follow
The EU Commission spokesperson emphasized: “We have observed how Grok has generated antisemitic content and, more recently, sexual depictions of children. That is illegal. That is unacceptable.” The EU Commission is currently analyzing information from X about Grok. Forcing a deactivation of Grok in the EU is not the goal of the EU Commission and would rather be a last resort.
In December 2025, the EU imposed a fine of 120 million euros on Musk’s online platform for lack of transparency. In addition, the EU has had X in its sights since December 2013 because the platform is suspected of not doing enough against illegal content or disinformation.
EU digital laws cause tensions with the United States
In view of the investigations that have been ongoing for years, critics have long accused the EU of not enforcing its digital rules consistently enough. At the same time, the US government accuses Brussels of censorship. In response to European measures, Washington imposed entry bans before Christmas on former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton and other Europeans. Breton is an architect of the EU’s digital laws. The managing directors of the German advisory organization HateAid, which campaigns against online hate, are also affected.
Investigations also in France
The Paris public prosecutor’s office has also been investigating X since summer 2025. The original investigation revolves around the allegation of altered algorithms to increase the visibility of far-right content. New allegations now also concern Holocaust denial and sexual depictions. In Germany, there are so far no comparable investigations against Grok. The Federal Network Agency, when asked by dpa, referred to responsibilities – according to which Ireland, as the provider’s place of establishment, and the EU Commission are responsible. (January 8)
