{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-09-30T05:33:30.413Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"tbij","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"","evidence":"","year":"","response":"","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":2,"coverage":{"cases":2,"countries":1,"languages":2,"unknownLocation":1,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":1,"lawsuits":0,"regulatory":1,"minors":0,"coreRelations":2,"contextualRelations":0,"mixedRelations":0,"unknownRelations":0,"relationPending":0,"relationUnknown":0},"countingNote":"Distinct public cases in this selection. People counts apply within individual cases only; cross-case person overlap has not been resolved. No population incidence estimate.","affectedCountNote":"Interpret person counts with affectedCountStatus and the reported effects. Unquantified zeros are placeholders, not a measured zero.","source":"AI incidents","publisher":"NOPE","url":"https://nope.net/incidents","license":"CC BY 4.0"},"incidents":[{"id":"2026-uk-grok-sexualised-images-two-women-police-cases-closed-no-suspect-identified","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Grok obliged, moulding her profile photo onto a nude body wrapped in see-through plastic'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Grok, the platform’s AI chatbot, obliged by moulding her profile photo onto a nude body in see-through plastic'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'were created using the chatbot and shared without her consent'; 'after speaking out, she saw AI-generated images of herself had been created without her consent'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Explicit or sexualised images of the presenter were generated with Grok at anonymous X users' request and posted on X without her consent around New Year 2026, after she had publicly criticised Grok.","causal_attribution":"The presenter's account to TBIJ/The Observer and, separately, to BBC Wales in January 2026; TBIJ inspected the requesting account."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'After reporting her case to South Wales Police on 2 January'; 'wasn’t invited to give a statement until March'; 'Her case was closed after the police requests to X went unanswered'; 'Despite the efforts of investigators, no suspect could be identified'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'the investigation was closed in May'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The presenter reported the image to South Wales Police on 2 January 2026; she was not asked for a statement until March, police requests to X went unanswered, and the case was closed (in May, per The Observer) with the force saying no suspect could be identified.","causal_attribution":"TBIJ's account from messages it saw and the presenter; South Wales Police's statement confirms an investigation and no identified suspect but does not address the X requests."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'about 300 images and videos of her posted during the Grok scandal'; 'the last of which was dealt with by the Metropolitan Police'; 'She reported several anonymous posts to the police'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'after exploring all viable lines of enquiry, no suspect could be identified'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The broadcaster estimates about 300 Grok-made images and videos of her were posted during the wave, including by the account that targeted the presenter; she reported several, one involving Jeffrey Epstein to the Metropolitan Police, which said no suspect could be identified.","causal_attribution":"The broadcaster's estimate and the Met's statement, both via the TBIJ/Observer investigation."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'is now in pre-action legal correspondence with xAI, part of SpaceXAI, alleging misuse of her private information'; 'It has not been possible, in the time available, to look into any communications with South Wales Police'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'is now in pre-action legal correspondence with SpacexAI'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The presenter is in pre-action legal correspondence with xAI (SpaceXAI) alleging misuse of private information and breaches of data-protection law and the Equality Act; the company said it had not been possible in the time available to look into its communications with South Wales Police.","causal_attribution":"Reported from the correspondence described by TBIJ and the presenter's lawyer; no claim has been filed."}],"effects":[{"label":"a sexualised image of her generated by Grok from her profile photo at an anonymous user's request and posted on X","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"},{"label":"about 300 Grok-made images and videos of her posted to humiliate her","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"},{"label":"police investigations closed with no suspect identified after X did not answer information requests","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-09-29/grok-deepfakes-police-justice","kind":"investigative_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-30 (TBIJ, 29 September 2026, by Lydia Morrish); the original investigation, with police and company statements.","independence_group":"tbij-observer-investigation"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/the-women-taking-on-the-tech-giants-over-deepfakes-and-digital-abuse","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-30 (The Observer, 29 September 2026, same reporter, published in partnership with TBIJ); adds the May closure date.","independence_group":"tbij-observer-investigation"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98p4214577o","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-30 (BBC Wales, 13 January 2026, updated 14 January); interview with the presenter during the wave.","independence_group":"bbc-wales-january-2026"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy","justice","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Who requested the images and where they were located.","Whether X answered any later police request.","Whether the presenter files a claim and its outcome.","Dates of the individual images and videos of the broadcaster; The Observer places them 'during the Grok scandal over Christmas', so the series may have begun in late December 2025, before the presenter's dated 2 January 2026 report."],"geography":{"basis":"The presenter reported to South Wales Police and is described by TBIJ in her bedroom in Wales; the broadcaster reported to the Metropolitan Police (TBIJ). The images were generated on X at the request of anonymous accounts whose locations are not established (TBIJ says some accounts in the cases it examined were clearly UK-based), so no event country is recorded. No court proceeding yet.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":["GB"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a core case (Grok-generated sexualised images of two adult public figures, requested by anonymous users, with police investigations closed without a suspect). Both women spoke on the record to TBIJ and The Observer; the presenter also to BBC Wales in January 2026. The images are not reproduced or described beyond the sources' wording.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"TBIJ inspected the X account and posts that requested the images and describes Grok's automatic public reply; The presenter described the image to TBIJ and, in January 2026, to BBC Wales; South Wales Police and the Metropolitan Police confirm investigations into the reports. Grok's role in generating and posting the images is not disputed by any party quoted; xAI did not respond to TBIJ.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"UK: Grok-made sexualised images of a Welsh presenter and campaigner against deepfake abuse and of a commentator and broadcaster, requested by anonymous X accounts around New Year 2026; South Wales Police and the Metropolitan Police closed their investigations without identifying a suspect after X did not answer information requests; the presenter is in pre-action correspondence with xAI","summary":"The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and The Observer reported on 29 September 2026 that police investigations into sexualised images generated by X's chatbot Grok had failed to identify anyone. A Welsh presenter and campaigner against deepfake abuse, who had criticised Grok publicly on New Year's Eve 2025, saw an anonymous X user ask '@grok' to put her in a bikini made of cling film; Grok generated the image from her profile photo and posted it. She reported it to South Wales Police on 2 January 2026, was not asked for a statement until March, and was told officers had not heard back from X; the case was closed (in May, per The Observer) with the force saying no suspect could be identified. The same account also targeted a commentator and broadcaster, who estimates about 300 Grok images and videos of her were posted during the wave, including one alongside Jeffrey Epstein reported to the Metropolitan Police, which likewise said no suspect could be identified. The presenter is now in pre-action legal correspondence with xAI (part of SpaceXAI) alleging misuse of private information and breaches of data-protection law and the Equality Act; the company told her lawyers it had not been possible in the time available to look into its communications with South Wales Police. BBC Wales had reported in January 2026 that explicit images of the presenter were created with the chatbot and shared without her consent.","incidentDate":"2026-01-02","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-01-13","aiSystem":"Grok (xAI) image generation on X, responding to public '@grok' requests by editing the targeted women's photographs and posting the results","aiProduct":"Grok","aiCompany":"xAI (SpaceXAI)","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Two women, a presenter and campaigner and a broadcaster, had sexualised images of themselves generated by Grok at anonymous users' request and posted on X; the presenter calls the experience terrifying and her lawyers say the company's failure to help the police aggravated her distress; the broadcaster says the images were designed to humiliate her; both police investigations closed without a suspect after X did not answer requests (TBIJ; The Observer; BBC Wales).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":2,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"Two depicted people, a presenter and campaigner and a commentator and broadcaster (TBIJ; The Observer). The MP also interviewed by TBIJ is counted in her own case (2026-asato-v-xai-grok). Exact 2.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"GB","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-09-29/grok-deepfakes-police-justice","primarySourceLabel":"The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, 29 September 2026: Failed by the police, Grok deepfake victims are seeking justice themselves","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:49.631225+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:49.631225+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["grok","xai","x-twitter","deepfakes","non-consensual-intimate-images","ai-generated-images","police","south-wales-police","metropolitan-police","ofcom","uk","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-seewa-ai-companion-app-developer-read-users-chats-despite-encryption-claim","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Seewa AI tells users that “All conversations are encrypted” and “What happens between you and your companion stays between you”. Neither is true.'; 'In fact, [the developer] can access every conversation.'; 'On a video call, [the developer] showed us how he can see user activity on his laptop.'; 'He reads users’ conversations.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'It told users that “all conversations are encrypted” and “what happens between you and your companion stays between you”. In fact, the company’s CEO told us that he could see everything that went on: romantic chats, disclosed secrets, intimate photos.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'ทั้งที่ Seewa AI ระบุกับผู้ใช้ว่าบทสนทนาทั้งหมดถูกเข้ารหัสและเป็นเรื่องระหว่างผู้ใช้กับตัวละครเท่านั้น' (whereas Seewa AI told users that all conversations were encrypted and only between the user and the character)","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Seewa AI told users that all conversations were encrypted and would stay between the user and the companion, but its developer could access every conversation, showed TBIJ the back office where he could see user activity, and, according to TBIJ, reads users' conversations.","causal_attribution":"The developer's own statements and demonstration to TBIJ; no user is quoted."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Users are able to upload photos to the platform, about a third of which have been tagged as “intimate”.'; 'Every “I love you”, every uploaded photo, every disclosed secret.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'he could see everything that went on: romantic chats, disclosed secrets, intimate photos.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Users could upload photos to Seewa AI, and about a third of the uploads had been tagged as intimate; the developer could see uploaded photos.","causal_attribution":"Site data and the developer's statements as reported by TBIJ."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'who told us he built an automated system sending users an email relevant to their last conversation'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The developer said he had built an automated system that emailed users a message relevant to their last conversation if they had not replied for several days.","causal_attribution":"The developer's statement to TBIJ."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'(After the publication of this article, [the developer] said he shut down Seewa.ai and it is currently unavailable.)'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Two months on from our investigation, Seewa AI has been shut down. We asked the developer for an explanation but he declined to comment.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"After TBIJ's report the developer said he had shut Seewa.ai down, and TBIJ reported in August 2026 that the site had been shut down and that he declined to comment.","causal_attribution":"TBIJ reporting."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Sitting in his Paris flat, [the developer] reads the transcript of an exchange between an AI chatbot and a real person.'; 'The exchange is intimate, personal and private. Or so the person thought.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"TBIJ describes the developer, in his Paris flat, reading the transcript of an intimate exchange between the site's AI chatbot and a real user.","causal_attribution":"TBIJ's reporting of what it observed and was told."}],"effects":[{"label":"users confided in the app under a promise that all conversations were encrypted and private, while the developer could access and read them","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"},{"label":"users' uploaded photos, about a third tagged intimate, were visible to the developer","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"the developer read the transcript of at least one user's intimate exchange with the site's chatbot","claim_id":"c5","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-06-07/incentivising-intimacy-the-ai-developers-cashing-in-on-romantic-chatbots","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Full body read by curl on 2026-09-29 (published 7 June 2026, updated 10 June 2026). Based on TBIJ's interview and video call with the developer.","independence_group":"tbij"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-08-05/romance-chatbot-taken-offline-after-bureau-investigation","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Full body read by curl on 2026-09-29 (5 August 2026 follow-up by the same outlet).","independence_group":"tbij"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.tcijthai.com/news/2026/9/scoop/15315","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"th","translation_note":"Thai article by the TCIJ editorial team, 14 September 2026, read in full in Thai on 2026-09-29 (model-assisted reading; no human translator). It states that it reports TBIJ's investigation and adds no independent reporting, so it is grouped with TBIJ.","independence_group":"tbij"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["own_use"],"contexts":["privacy","relationships"],"unknowns":["How many users' conversations and photos the developer read or viewed.","When the site launched and when it went offline (TBIJ says it launched in March without a year and was offline by 10 June 2026).","Whether any user data was deleted, retained or shared after the shutdown.","Which language model powered the characters.","Whether any minors used the site."],"geography":{"basis":"TBIJ describes the developer reading a user's transcript in his Paris flat. The users' locations are not stated.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["FR"],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a concrete privacy harm to users of an AI companion app: the site's promise of encrypted, private conversations was false and its developer read users' chats, as he told and showed an investigative outlet. No user account is reported and the number of affected users is unknown. The developer is not named here.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The conversations at issue were users' exchanges with the site's AI companion characters. TBIJ reports that the developer showed its reporters, on a video call, the back office where he could see user activity, and states that he reads users' conversations; in TBIJ's follow-up the company's CEO is reported as saying he could see everything that went on. The harm lies in the developer's access to the AI conversations; no harmful output by the AI is reported.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with"]},"name":"Seewa AI: the solo developer of an AI girlfriend and companion app told users that all conversations were encrypted and private, but read their chats and could see their uploaded photos, about a third of them tagged intimate; the app shut down after a Bureau of Investigative Journalism report","summary":"Seewa AI was a companion chatbot platform built in about three weeks by a solo developer and promoted on Reddit and Discord, offering AI girlfriends, boyfriends and other characters with 10 free messages a day and paid subscriptions. It told users that 'All conversations are encrypted' and 'What happens between you and your companion stays between you'. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) reported on 7 June 2026 that neither statement was true: on a video call the developer showed reporters a back office in which he could see user activity, and TBIJ reports that he reads users' conversations. Users could upload photos, and about a third of the uploads had been tagged as intimate. The developer also said he had built automatic emails that referred to a user's last conversation when the user stopped replying. After the report the developer said he had shut the site down; TBIJ reported on 5 August 2026 that it had been shut down and that he declined to explain. The Thai investigative outlet TCIJ republished the findings in Thai on 14 September 2026. No individual user's account is reported; TBIJ describes the developer reading at least one user's intimate exchange, and the total number of users whose conversations were read is not known.","incidentKind":"ongoing_experience","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-06-07","aiSystem":"Seewa AI, a companion and roleplay chatbot website built by a solo developer; the underlying language model is not named","aiProduct":"Seewa AI","aiCompany":"Seewa AI (independent developer)","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["other_material_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Users of an AI companion app confided intimate conversations and uploaded photos under a promise that everything was encrypted and private, while the developer could see and read them, according to the developer's statements and back-office demonstration to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism; the number of users affected is unknown.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":1,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"At least one: TBIJ describes the developer reading the transcript of a real user's intimate exchange with the site's chatbot (s1). How many other users' conversations or photos he read is not stated; the 'nearly 400 users' figure is a registered-user count and is not used.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","platformType":"companion","outcomeType":"product_shutdown","outcomeStatus":"resolved","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-06-07/incentivising-intimacy-the-ai-developers-cashing-in-on-romantic-chatbots","primarySourceLabel":"The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, 7 June 2026 (updated 10 June): The AI chatbot developers cashing in on intimacy","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T09:08:57.339635+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:52.373904+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["companion-app","ai-girlfriend","privacy","encryption-claim","developer-access","tbij","tcij","communicated-with"]}]}