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UK Opens Probe Into xAI’s Grok Over Data Use and Harmful Content

By  |  February 3, 2026
UK Opens Probe Into xAI’s Grok Over Data Use and Harmful Content

Britain’s privacy watchdog has launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence venture xAI and its chatbot Grok, focusing on how personal data is handled and whether the system is being used to generate harmful sexualized imagery. The move highlights growing regulatory pressure on companies developing powerful generative AI tools, according to a Reuters report on the matter.

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    The Information Commissioner’s Office said the probe will examine both xAI and X Internet Unlimited Company, the Dublin-based firm that acts as the data controller for the social media platform X in the European Union and the wider European Economic Area. The watchdog is seeking to establish whether the companies have complied with UK data protection rules in the way Grok processes information and produces content, per Reuters.

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    The investigation was triggered after reports emerged that the chatbot had been used to create non-consensual sexual images and videos of real people, including minors. These allegations have alarmed regulators and child protection advocates, who warn that such material can spread rapidly online and cause lasting harm, according to a Reuters account of the developments.

    Related: California Investigates xAI for Role in Deepfake Image Generation

    In a statement, the Information Commissioner’s Office said, “The reported creation and circulation of such content raises serious concerns under UK data protection law and presents a risk of significant potential harm to the public.” The watchdog added that its inquiry would assess whether safeguards and controls were sufficient to prevent abuse of the technology, per Reuters.

    The scrutiny of Grok is part of a wider global push to rein in the misuse of artificial intelligence tools. Governments and regulators in several countries are stepping up enforcement against platforms that allow the creation or distribution of sexually explicit and exploitative material generated by AI systems, according to a Reuters report.

    Separately, Britain’s media regulator Ofcom confirmed it will continue its own investigation into X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, over related safety and content moderation concerns. Together, the parallel probes underscore how regulators are tightening oversight of both AI developers and the platforms that host their outputs, per Reuters.

    Source: Reuters