Technology company X, owned by United States billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, has announced new restrictions on its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, following intense global backlash over the creation of sexualised images involving real women and children.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, after mounting criticism from governments, regulators, and civil society organisations across multiple continents, with several countries either blocking access to the chatbot or launching investigations into its operations. Grok is developed by xAI, an American artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, who is also the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter.
Okay News reports that the controversy escalated after Grok was found to be capable of digitally altering photographs of real people, allowing users to generate sexually explicit images using simple text instructions. These capabilities triggered widespread outrage and raised serious concerns about privacy, consent, and the safety of minors online.
In response, X announced that it would “geoblock the ability” of all Grok and X users to generate or modify images of people wearing clothing such as bikinis, underwear, or similar attire in regions where such actions are considered illegal.
“We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis,” X’s safety team said.
“This restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers.”
The company also introduced an additional safeguard by limiting image creation and photo editing through Grok exclusively to paid subscribers, describing the move as an extra layer of protection aimed at reducing misuse.
The European Commission, which serves as the digital regulatory authority of the European Union, confirmed that it was closely monitoring the steps taken by X to address the issue. European Commission spokesperson, Thomas Regnier, said regulators would assess whether the new measures adequately protect citizens across the European Union.
“We will carefully assess these changes to make sure they effectively protect citizens in the European Union,” Regnier said.
Pressure on xAI intensified after Grok’s so-called “Spicy Mode” feature allowed users to generate sexualised deepfake images with commands such as “put her in a bikini” or “remove her clothes,” leading to the widespread circulation of non-consensual imagery online.
California Attorney General, Rob Bonta, whose office launched an investigation into xAI, described the situation as deeply disturbing.
“The avalanche of reports detailing the non-consensual, sexually explicit material that xAI has produced and posted online in recent weeks is shocking,” Bonta said.
“We have zero tolerance for the artificial intelligence-based creation and dissemination of nonconsensual intimate images or of child sexual abuse material.”
Bonta added that the investigation would examine whether xAI violated California state laws after the images were allegedly used to harass individuals across the internet.
California Governor, Gavin Newsom, also condemned the situation, describing xAI’s decision to allow such content as “vile” and stating that it prompted him to urge the attorney general to hold the company accountable.
International pressure continued to build as a coalition of twenty-eight civil society organisations submitted open letters to the chief executive officers of Apple and Google, urging them to remove Grok and X from their app stores due to the surge in sexualised images generated by the chatbot.
Indonesia became the first country to completely block access to Grok, with neighbouring Malaysia implementing a similar restriction the following day. Malaysia’s Minister of Communications, Fahmi Fadzil, later stated that X’s measures were “not done in totality” and warned that access would only be restored if regulators were satisfied that harmful content could be effectively prevented.
India also confirmed that X removed thousands of posts and hundreds of user accounts following official complaints, while the United Kingdom’s media regulator, the Office of Communications, said it had opened an investigation into whether X breached British law regarding the distribution of sexual images.
An independent analysis conducted by Paris-based non-profit organisation AI Forensics reviewed more than twenty thousand Grok-generated images and found that over half depicted individuals in minimal clothing, with the majority being women. The study also reported that approximately two percent of the images appeared to involve minors, further intensifying global concern.
