French Government Launches Probe Against X Over Sexually Explicit Deepfakes

Last Updated:January 02, 2026, 22:40 IST

The action comes after thousands of sexually explicit images of women, most of them nude, were widely shared on X over the past few days.

Reuters image used for representation

The French government has moved to investigate social media platform X following a surge in sexually explicit deepfake images generated using its artificial intelligence tool, Grok, according to a report by BFM TV.

In an official statement, the government said it has reported the matter to the public prosecutor and to Pharos, the French platform for reporting illegal online content. Ministers Roland Lescure, Anne Le Hénanff and Aurore Bergé also confirmed that the issue has been referred to Arcom, citing possible breaches by X of its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), particularly in preventing and limiting the spread of illegal content, according to a report by BFM TV.

“The ministers condemn these acts in the strongest possible terms," the statement said.

The action comes after thousands of sexually explicit images of women, most of them nude, were widely shared on X over the past few days. According to the report by BFM TV, users requested these images from Grok, the generative AI integrated into the platform and backed by X owner Elon Musk. In many cases, users uploaded a normal photograph of a woman, after which the AI generated altered images placing her in swimsuits or degrading poses without her consent.

While the feature itself is not new, French authorities have stressed that such use remains illegal. The Paris Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that complaints filed by two French members of parliament have led to the expansion of an ongoing investigation into the X platform.

“We were contacted on January 2, 2026, by two members of parliament, reporting the dissemination of sexually explicit deepfakes, notably featuring minors, generated by Grok," the prosecutor’s office said, as quoted by BFM TV.

“These facts have been added to the investigation already opened against persons unknown, based on Article 226-8-1 of the Penal Code."

Under French law, the offence of sexually manipulating a person’s image without consent is punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of €60,000. Users who request such AI-generated images could also face legal consequences, as generating manipulated images through algorithmic processing can lead to up to three years in prison and a €75,000 fine.

Socialist MP Arthur Delaporte, in a letter obtained by Tech&Co, argued that the responsibility of platform X could be engaged because it allows the publication of illegal content. He also accused Elon Musk of publicly endorsing Grok’s behaviour, citing a post in which Musk appeared to mock an AI-generated image.

This comes on the same day when the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in India issued a formal notice to X, flagging serious lapses in statutory due diligence under the Information Technology Act and IT Rules. The ministry said Grok was being misused to generate obscene, sexually explicit and derogatory content, particularly targeting women and children, and warned of strict action if immediate corrective steps are not taken.

Regulators in both France and India have now placed X under increased scrutiny as concerns grow over the unchecked spread of AI-generated abuse online.

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