The EU executive on Thursday said it ordered Elon Musk's Grok to keep data related to the AI chatbot after the tool sparked a backlash for generating sexualized deepfakes of minors.

The order means the EU executive can ask X for access to the documents as it looks into the platform and Grok.

Complaints flooded the internet after the recent rollout of an "edit image" button on Grok, which enabled users to alter online images with prompts such as "put her in a bikini" or "remove her clothes".

The European Union has described the chatbot's output as "illegal" and "unacceptable", and said Grok would face greater scrutiny.

Now the European Commission "has ordered X to retain all internal documents and data relating to Grok, and they have to do it until the end of 2026," EU digital affairs spokesman Thomas Regnier said.

He said it was an extension of a retention order sent to X last year over its "algorithms and recommender systems on the dissemination of illegal content".

Musk's social media platform X has been the target of an investigation since December 2023 under the EU's mammoth digital content rules.

Brussels slapped a $140 million fine in December on X for violating the transparency obligations of the law known as the Digital Services Act (DSA), triggering angry reactions from the US administration. The breaches include the deceptive design of its "blue checkmark" for supposedly verified accounts, and failure to provide access to public data for researchers.

But X remains under investigation over tackling the spread of illegal content and information manipulation – and the EU has insisted it will enforce its rules despite Washington's ire.

"The DSA is very clear in Europe. All platforms have to get their own house in order, because what they're generating here is unacceptable, and compliance with EU law is not an option. It's an obligation," Regnier said.

More than 30 lawmakers belonging to the EU parliament's liberal Renew group put pressure on commission president Ursula von der Leyen in a letter dated Wednesday, urging more aggressive action including a probe under the DSA.

"Make no mistake, it's not just a famous people issue, it's not just a women's issue. All the pictures of you or your kids ever posted on Facebook or Instagram are just one click away to (from) being turned into porn on Grok," EU lawmaker Veronika Cifrova said.