Grok Obscenity Row: Elon Musk's X Admits Mistake, Deletes 600 Accounts, Says Govt Sources

New Delhi: Social media platform X admitted its mistake and assured the government that it will operate in accordance with Indian law, government sources said. 

In response to concerns regarding the spread of explicit or inappropriate content, authorities have intensified their crackdown on the platform. To date, approximately 3,500 pieces of content have been blocked, and more than 600 accounts have been permanently removed as part of this enforcement effort. 

In a move to resolve the ongoing dispute with Indian regulators, X has guaranteed that explicit content will be strictly prohibited moving forward. The social media giant has agreed to revamp its moderation framework to guarantee full compliance with local laws. 

The action comes days after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology rose concern over the generation of indecent and sexually explicit content through AI services like Grok.

2-Hour Ultimatum To Elon Musk's X

Earlier on January 2, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a notice to X over serious lapses in statutory due diligence under the IT Act and IT Rules. The government's action came after reports emerged that Grok was being used to generate and circulate sexually explicit and derogatory content, particularly targeting women and children. 

In its notice, the Union government raised concerns centred around the grave violation of dignity, privacy, and digital safety caused by such obscene content. MeitY has directed X to immediately review Grok's technical and governance framework, remove all unlawful content, and take action against offending users.

Controversy Related To Grok

Grok, X's AI chatbot, has been accused of generating sexually explicit and derogatory content, particularly targeting women and children. The platform's ‘Spicy’ mode, which allows users to produce sexually suggestive and semi-nude outputs, has come under fire. The experts have stated that such features are being misused to create and share non-consensual intimate images, violating individuals' privacy and dignity.

MeitY has warned X that continued non-compliance with the IT Act and IT Rules could lead to the loss of safe harbour protections and invite strict action under applicable laws. The ministry has stressed that social media platforms must take responsibility for the content they host and ensure that their AI-powered features are not misused to harm others.

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