The search of the French offices of X and the summons of Elon Musk by the Paris public prosecutor mark a significant escalation in legal pressure against the platform.
At the center of the investigations: the proliferation of AI-generated sexual deepfakes, allegedly produced or facilitated by X’s artificial intelligence system, Grok, disproportionately targeting women.
These manipulated images — non-consensual nudity, hyper-realistic sexual fabrications, digitally altered bodies — are increasingly recognized by legal experts and international institutions as a form of technology-facilitated sexual violence.
Sexual Deepfakes: A Gendered Digital Abuse Crisis
Between late 2025 and early 2026, users reported that Grok responded to prompts requesting to “undress,” “sexualize,” or “put in a bikini” real women — including public figures and private individuals.
In some instances, manipulated images involving minors were reported, triggering international concern.
The broader pattern is well documented. According to Sensity AI’s State of Deepfakes report, over 90% of online pornographic deepfakes target women, almost always without consent:
https://www.sensity.ai/reports/the-state-of-deepfakes
Sexual deepfakes are not satire. They are tools of humiliation, harassment, coercion, and reputational harm.
The Digital Services Act at the Core of EU Action
In response, the Commission européenne launched a formal investigation under the Digital Services Act (DSA) framework.
The Commission ordered X and its parent company xAI to preserve all internal documents and technical data related to Grok until at least the end of 2026 for regulatory review.
Official DSA information:
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-services-act
If violations are confirmed, X could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual turnover.
Previous EU Sanctions and Transparency Failures
In December 2024, X was already fined €120 million under the DSA — the first sanction of its kind — for failures related to:
- advertising transparency,
- researcher data access,
- misleading verification “blue check” systems.
Official European Commission press release:
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_6203
Broader Investigations: Algorithmic Manipulation and Extremism Concerns
Separately, French authorities have opened a criminal investigation into alleged algorithmic manipulation and foreign interference.
The investigation occurs in a context where Elon Musk publicly expressed support for the German far-right party AfD.
Grok has also generated controversial outputs in 2025, including statements referencing Adolf Hitler in a positive light and inflammatory comments about political leaders such as Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
These incidents expanded the legal scrutiny to include hate speech and extremist content.
A Defining Test for Platform Accountability
The investigations into X represent more than a regulatory dispute. They raise fundamental questions:
- Can platforms prevent AI-generated sexual abuse before it spreads?
- Are transparency obligations sufficient in the age of generative AI?
- Who protects women when algorithms digitally strip them without consent?
Sexual deepfakes are not technological glitches.
They are a new frontier of gender-based digital violence — and a defining test for European digital regulation.