Commission Opens DSA Investigation into X’s Grok

The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into X under the Digital Services Act (DSA), while extending its existing probe of the company’s recommender systems launched in December 2023. The new inquiry will assess whether X adequately identified and mitigated risks linked to the deployment of its Grok functionalities in the EU, notably risks related to the dissemination of illegal content, including manipulated sexually explicit material and content that may constitute child sexual abuse. The Commission indicates these harms appear to have materialized, exposing EU users to serious risks.

The investigation will examine whether X fulfilled DSA obligations to perform comprehensive risk assessments and to transmit detailed risk assessment reports to the Commission before deploying Grok features. Authorities will also scrutinize whether systemic risks — including those affecting gender-based violence and users’ physical and mental well-being — were properly addressed in X’s risk-mitigation strategies and technical safeguards.

The Commission has extended the ongoing proceedings into X’s recommender systems to include risks arising from the company’s recent shift to a Grok-based recommendation engine. Should investigations confirm breaches, X could be held to have violated multiple DSA provisions, including Articles 34 (risk assessment), 35 (risk mitigation), and 42 (reporting and cooperation obligations), with potential enforcement consequences.

The Commission will prioritize an in-depth probe in close cooperation with Ireland’s Digital Services Coordinator, Coimisiún na Meán, where X is established in the EU. The process may involve information requests, interviews, inspections and interim measures; opening formal proceedings centralizes enforcement powers at EU level and may lead to non-compliance decisions and other sanctions if breaches are found.