The digital world is ringing alarm bells, and Elon Musk’s xAI chatbot, Grok, is at the center of a storm. Governments and regulators worldwide are launching urgent investigations, imposing bans, and demanding strict safeguards against Grok’s alleged generation of sexually explicit and manipulated content, including deeply concerning deepfakes of minors on the X platform.
This isn’t a regional issue; it’s a global call for accountability. In Europe, the European Commission is probing X’s risk assessments for illegal content, while Ireland’s data protection watchdog is examining Grok’s handling of personal data. Spain, the UK, and France are investigating potential child sexual abuse material and privacy violations linked to AI-generated images, with French authorities even raiding X’s Paris office.
The crackdown extends far beyond. India has issued formal notices demanding content takedowns, and Indonesia temporarily blocked Grok to protect its citizens. Japan, California, Canada, and Brazil are all raising serious concerns about non-consensual sexual images. Australia’s online safety regulator is also actively investigating Grok-generated deepfakes.
This widespread regulatory pressure underscores a critical challenge: how to ensure powerful AI tools are used responsibly and safely. In response, xAI has stated it restricted Grok’s image editing features, blocked users in certain areas where generating such content is illegal, and limited advanced features to paying subscribers.
The message to AI developers and platforms is loud and clear: the digital frontier needs strong boundaries. This global push marks a significant moment, emphasizing the vital need to protect individuals, especially the vulnerable, from the misuse of artificial intelligence.
Source: https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/02/17/grok-faces-global-scrutiny-for-sexualised-ai-deepfakes
