Federal privacy commissioner opens probe into sexualized deepfakes on X

Canada's federal privacy commissioner has expanded an investigation into sexualized deepfakes shared on X and launched a related probe of xAI and its Grok model to examine whether personal information was used without valid consent under federal private sector privacy law.

Canada's federal privacy commissioner has opened investigations into sexualized deepfakes created by Grok and shared on the X platform. Philippe Dufresne expanded an ongoing probe of X and launched a related investigation into xAI, the company behind Grok. His office says the reviews will focus on whether the companies are complying with federal private sector privacy law, including whether valid consent was obtained to collect, use or disclose personal information. Dufresne has said the use of personal information without consent poses risks to individuals' privacy rights. Key points: - The probe covers sexualized deepfakes created by Grok and shared on the X platform. - Investigations will examine whether X and xAI obtained valid consent to collect, use or disclose personal information to create deepfakes, including explicit content. - The privacy commissioner's office notified the companies of the investigations on Wednesday. Summary: The investigations will assess compliance with federal private sector privacy requirements and the question of valid consent for use of personal information. The outcome may inform how platforms and AI developers handle personal data. Undetermined at this time.