EU expands Digital Services Act scrutiny of X to cover Grok deepfake outputs

The Hindu
The Hindu 1d
The European Commission opened a new DSA investigation into X focused on Grok’s generation of sexualised deepfake images, widening an existing probe into illegal content and information manipulation on the platform.
EU expands Digital Services Act scrutiny of X to cover Grok deepfake outputs
A What happened
The European Commission has launched a Digital Services Act investigation into X tied to Grok’s ability to generate sexualised deepfake images of women and minors. The Commission said the step widens an existing DSA case already examining X’s handling of illegal content and information manipulation. The probe is intended to assess whether X is meeting its legal obligations under the DSA. EU officials framed the action around consent, child protection, and the harms from illegal imagery.

Why it matters

  • Regulatory exposure broadens from content moderation to generative AI features: By explicitly adding Grok’s image-generation behavior to an ongoing DSA case, the EU increases the compliance surface area for X beyond distribution of user content to the platform’s own AI-enabled outputs.

  • Potential remedies could extend to product changes, not only takedown processes: A DSA probe centered on deepfake generation can drive requirements around safeguards, access controls, and risk mitigation in the tool itself, not just faster removal of illegal posts.

Topics

Technology & Innovation Artificial Intelligence World & Politics Policy & Regulation

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