Federal privacy watchdog probes sexualized deepfakes on X platform

Canada’s federal privacy commissioner has launched an investigation into sexualized deepfakes circulating on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Philippe Dufresne, who oversees federal private sector privacy compliance, has expanded an existing probe into X and opened a separate inquiry into xAI, the company behind Grok, the artificial intelligence tool used to generate the content.

The office of the privacy commissioner said the investigations will determine whether X and xAI collected, used, or disclosed personal information without valid consent in the creation of deepfakes, including sexually explicit material.

“Using personal information without consent to create deepfakes raises serious privacy risks for individuals,” Dufresne said in a statement.

Officials informed the companies of the investigation on Wednesday. The review will assess adherence to federal privacy laws that govern how private-sector organizations handle Canadians’ personal information.

Experts say the inquiry could have wider implications for social media platforms in Canada, particularly as AI-generated content becomes increasingly accessible.