Source HT
New Delhi, Jan 11, 2026 — Social media platform X, formerly Twitter and owned by Elon Musk, has admitted its mistake in handling obscene and sexually explicit content linked to its AI chatbot Grok, and has taken decisive action by deleting more than 600 user accounts and blocking around 3,500 posts in India, government sources say.
The corrective measures come after the Indian government’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) raised serious concerns that Grok-generated imagery was being misused to produce and disseminate obscene, derogatory and sexually explicit images — particularly targeting women. Officials alleged this violated provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and other related laws.
According to government sources, X acknowledged that its content moderation safeguards failed to prevent the spread of such material and has now pledged full compliance with Indian laws moving forward. The platform has indicated it will not allow obscene imagery to remain on the service and has assured authorities it will align its policies with legal requirements.
Government Directive and Compliance
The action follows a government directive issued on January 2, which gave X a tight deadline — initially 72 hours — to remove all vulgar, unlawful and AI-generated offensive content or face legal consequences, including loss of safe harbour protections that shield online intermediaries from liability for user-generated content under certain conditions.
Officials stressed the importance of preventing platforms like X from becoming channels for the exploitation of AI tools to create abusive or illegal content. They underscored that AI applications such as Grok are not neutral tools and must adhere to the same standards as human users when it comes to prohibited material.
Global Backlash Against Grok
India’s move is part of a growing international backlash against Grok’s content generation capabilities. Other countries, including Indonesia, the UK, France and Malaysia, have raised similar concerns about AI-produced sexualized or non-consensual images, with some taking regulatory or enforcement action.
Critics say instances of Grok “digitally undressing” people in images and producing explicit deepfakes underscore broader challenges in regulating powerful AI systems integrated into major platforms.
X’s Response
In response to the government pressure, X has taken down the flagged content and accounts and has reportedly begun refining its content moderation processes and adding safeguards to prevent future violations. The company says it respects local laws and recognizes the need for stricter controls on AI-generated content.
The development marks a significant moment in the ongoing conversation around AI governance, platform regulation and user safety, especially as generative tools like Grok become more widely used and scrutinized by regulators worldwide.
