Elon Musk's Grok sparks global outrage: AI chatbot's explicit content triggers government crackdown
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Jan 09, 2026, 22:04 IST
In light of recent concerns, European and Asian governments have launched investigations into the Grok chatbot developed by Elon Musk for allegedly producing inappropriate content on X. Authorities are insisting on measures to eradicate illegal material, prompting X to limit image generation features to paying members only.
Governments and regulators across Europe and Asia have condemned and launched inquiries into sexually explicit content generated by Elon Musk's xAI chatbot Grok on the platform X. This has put pressure on X to demonstrate its measures for preventing and removing illegal content. Grok announced late Thursday it is restricting image generation and editing to paying subscribers, following earlier statements on January 2 about fixing safeguard lapses after isolated instances of producing sexualized outputs, including depictions of minors in minimal clothing. Elon Musk stated on X that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content themselves.
The European Commission extended a retention order sent to X last year. This order requires X to retain and preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026. This action was taken amid concerns over Grok-generated sexualized "undressed" images.
Britain's communications regulator, Ofcom, made "urgent contact" with X and xAI on Monday. Ofcom will conduct a swift assessment to determine if the service is meeting its legal duties to protect users under the UK's Online Safety Act framework.
In France, government ministers referred sexually explicit Grok-generated content circulating on X to prosecutors on January 2. They also alerted the French media regulator, Arcom, to check the platform's compliance with the European Union's Digital Services Act.
Germany's media minister, Wolfram Weimer, called on the European Commission on Tuesday to take legal steps. He stated that EU rules provide tools to tackle illegal content and alleged the problem risked turning into the "industrialisation of sexual harassment".
Italy's data protection authority warned on Thursday that using AI tools to create "undressed" deepfake imagery of real people without consent could amount to serious privacy violations. In some cases, these actions could be criminal offenses.
Swedish political leaders condemned Grok-generated sexualized "undressing" content on Thursday. This condemnation followed reports that imagery involving Sweden's deputy prime minister was produced from a user prompt.
India's IT Ministry sent X a formal notice on January 2. The notice addressed the alleged Grok-enabled creation or sharing of obscene sexualized images. It directed the content to be taken down and required a report on the actions being taken within 72 hours.
Malaysia's communications regulator, MCMC, announced on January 3 that it would summon X and open an investigation. The investigation concerns the alleged misuse of Grok to generate obscene or sexualized "undressing" content. The MCMC warned that this may involve offenses under Section 233 of Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Australia's online-safety regulator, eSafety, is investigating Grok-generated "digitally undressed" sexualized deepfake images. They are assessing adult material under their image-based abuse scheme. eSafety noted that current child-related examples reviewed did not meet the legal threshold for child sexual abuse material under Australian law.
Grok said late on Thursday it was restricting image generation and editing to paying subscribers.
"Grok said late on Thursday it was restricting image generation and editing to paying subscribers after it said on January 2 that it was fixing safeguard lapses after isolated cases in which it produced sexualised outputs, including depictions of minors in minimal clothing."
Musk said earlier on X that anyone using Grok to make illegal content would suffer the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content.
"Musk said earlier on X that anyone using Grok to make illegal content would suffer the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content."
The European Commission extended on Thursday a retention order sent to X last year to retain and preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026, amid concern over Grok-generated sexualised "undressed" images.
"The European Commission extended on Thursday a retention order sent to X last year to retain and preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026, amid concern over Grok-generated sexualised "undressed" images."
Britain's communications regulator Ofcom said on Monday it had made "urgent contact" with X and xAI and would make a swift assessment of whether the service was meeting its legal duties to protect users under the UK's Online Safety Act framework.
"Britain's communications regulator Ofcom said on Monday it had made "urgent contact" with X and xAI and would make a swift assessment of whether the service was meeting its legal duties to protect users under the UK's Online Safety Act framework."
In France, government ministers said on January 2 they had referred sexually explicit Grok-generated content circulating on X to prosecutors and also alerted French media regulator Arcom to check the platform's compliance with the European Union's Digital Services Act.
"In France, government ministers said on January 2 they had referred sexually explicit Grok-generated content circulating on X to prosecutors and also alerted French media regulator Arcom to check the platform's compliance with the European Union's Digital Services Act."
Germany's media minister Wolfram Weimer called on the European Commission on Tuesday to take legal steps, saying EU rules provided tools to tackle illegal content and alleging the problem risked turning into the "industrialisation of sexual harassment".
"Germany's media minister Wolfram Weimer called on the European Commission on Tuesday to take legal steps, saying EU rules provided tools to tackle illegal content and alleging the problem risked turning into the "industrialisation of sexual harassment"."
Italy's data protection authority warned on Thursday that using AI tools to create "undressed" deepfake imagery of real people without consent could amount to serious privacy violations and, in some cases, criminal offences.
"Italy's data protection authority warned on Thursday that using AI tools to create "undressed" deepfake imagery of real people without consent could amount to serious privacy violations and, in some cases, criminal offences."
Swedish political leaders condemned on Thursday Grok-generated sexualised "undressing" content after reporting that imagery involving Sweden's deputy prime minister was produced from a user prompt.
"Swedish political leaders condemned on Thursday Grok-generated sexualised "undressing" content after reporting that imagery involving Sweden's deputy prime minister was produced from a user prompt."
India's IT Ministry on January 2 sent X a formal notice over alleged Grok-enabled creation or sharing of obscene sexualised images, directing the content to be taken down and requiring a report on the actions being taken within 72 hours.
"India's IT Ministry on January 2 sent X a formal notice over alleged Grok-enabled creation or sharing of obscene sexualised images, directing the content to be taken down and requiring a report on the actions being taken within 72 hours."
Malaysia's communications regulator MCMC said on January 3 it would summon X and open an investigation into alleged misuse of Grok to generate obscene or sexualised "undressing" content, warning it may involve offences under Section 233 of Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
"Malaysia's communications regulator MCMC said on January 3 it would summon X and open an investigation into alleged misuse of Grok to generate obscene or sexualised "undressing" content, warning it may involve offences under Section 233 of Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Act 1998."
Australia's online-safety regulator eSafety said on Wednesday it was investigating Grok-generated "digitally undressed" sexualised deepfake images, assessing adult material under its image-based abuse scheme and noting current child-related examples it had reviewed did not meet the legal threshold for child sexual abuse material under Australian law.
"Australia's online-safety regulator eSafety said on Wednesday it was investigating Grok-generated "digitally undressed" sexualised deepfake images, assessing adult material under its image-based abuse scheme and noting current child-related examples it had reviewed did not meet the legal threshold for child sexual abuse material under Australian law."
The European Commission extended a retention order sent to X last year. This order requires X to retain and preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026. This action was taken amid concerns over Grok-generated sexualized "undressed" images.
Britain's communications regulator, Ofcom, made "urgent contact" with X and xAI on Monday. Ofcom will conduct a swift assessment to determine if the service is meeting its legal duties to protect users under the UK's Online Safety Act framework.
In France, government ministers referred sexually explicit Grok-generated content circulating on X to prosecutors on January 2. They also alerted the French media regulator, Arcom, to check the platform's compliance with the European Union's Digital Services Act.
Germany's media minister, Wolfram Weimer, called on the European Commission on Tuesday to take legal steps. He stated that EU rules provide tools to tackle illegal content and alleged the problem risked turning into the "industrialisation of sexual harassment".
Italy's data protection authority warned on Thursday that using AI tools to create "undressed" deepfake imagery of real people without consent could amount to serious privacy violations. In some cases, these actions could be criminal offenses.
Swedish political leaders condemned Grok-generated sexualized "undressing" content on Thursday. This condemnation followed reports that imagery involving Sweden's deputy prime minister was produced from a user prompt.
India's IT Ministry sent X a formal notice on January 2. The notice addressed the alleged Grok-enabled creation or sharing of obscene sexualized images. It directed the content to be taken down and required a report on the actions being taken within 72 hours.
Malaysia's communications regulator, MCMC, announced on January 3 that it would summon X and open an investigation. The investigation concerns the alleged misuse of Grok to generate obscene or sexualized "undressing" content. The MCMC warned that this may involve offenses under Section 233 of Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Australia's online-safety regulator, eSafety, is investigating Grok-generated "digitally undressed" sexualized deepfake images. They are assessing adult material under their image-based abuse scheme. eSafety noted that current child-related examples reviewed did not meet the legal threshold for child sexual abuse material under Australian law.
Grok said late on Thursday it was restricting image generation and editing to paying subscribers.
"Grok said late on Thursday it was restricting image generation and editing to paying subscribers after it said on January 2 that it was fixing safeguard lapses after isolated cases in which it produced sexualised outputs, including depictions of minors in minimal clothing."
Musk said earlier on X that anyone using Grok to make illegal content would suffer the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content.
"Musk said earlier on X that anyone using Grok to make illegal content would suffer the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content."
The European Commission extended on Thursday a retention order sent to X last year to retain and preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026, amid concern over Grok-generated sexualised "undressed" images.
"The European Commission extended on Thursday a retention order sent to X last year to retain and preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026, amid concern over Grok-generated sexualised "undressed" images."
Britain's communications regulator Ofcom said on Monday it had made "urgent contact" with X and xAI and would make a swift assessment of whether the service was meeting its legal duties to protect users under the UK's Online Safety Act framework.
"Britain's communications regulator Ofcom said on Monday it had made "urgent contact" with X and xAI and would make a swift assessment of whether the service was meeting its legal duties to protect users under the UK's Online Safety Act framework."
In France, government ministers said on January 2 they had referred sexually explicit Grok-generated content circulating on X to prosecutors and also alerted French media regulator Arcom to check the platform's compliance with the European Union's Digital Services Act.
"In France, government ministers said on January 2 they had referred sexually explicit Grok-generated content circulating on X to prosecutors and also alerted French media regulator Arcom to check the platform's compliance with the European Union's Digital Services Act."
Germany's media minister Wolfram Weimer called on the European Commission on Tuesday to take legal steps, saying EU rules provided tools to tackle illegal content and alleging the problem risked turning into the "industrialisation of sexual harassment".
"Germany's media minister Wolfram Weimer called on the European Commission on Tuesday to take legal steps, saying EU rules provided tools to tackle illegal content and alleging the problem risked turning into the "industrialisation of sexual harassment"."
Italy's data protection authority warned on Thursday that using AI tools to create "undressed" deepfake imagery of real people without consent could amount to serious privacy violations and, in some cases, criminal offences.
"Italy's data protection authority warned on Thursday that using AI tools to create "undressed" deepfake imagery of real people without consent could amount to serious privacy violations and, in some cases, criminal offences."
Swedish political leaders condemned on Thursday Grok-generated sexualised "undressing" content after reporting that imagery involving Sweden's deputy prime minister was produced from a user prompt.
"Swedish political leaders condemned on Thursday Grok-generated sexualised "undressing" content after reporting that imagery involving Sweden's deputy prime minister was produced from a user prompt."
India's IT Ministry on January 2 sent X a formal notice over alleged Grok-enabled creation or sharing of obscene sexualised images, directing the content to be taken down and requiring a report on the actions being taken within 72 hours.
"India's IT Ministry on January 2 sent X a formal notice over alleged Grok-enabled creation or sharing of obscene sexualised images, directing the content to be taken down and requiring a report on the actions being taken within 72 hours."
Malaysia's communications regulator MCMC said on January 3 it would summon X and open an investigation into alleged misuse of Grok to generate obscene or sexualised "undressing" content, warning it may involve offences under Section 233 of Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
"Malaysia's communications regulator MCMC said on January 3 it would summon X and open an investigation into alleged misuse of Grok to generate obscene or sexualised "undressing" content, warning it may involve offences under Section 233 of Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Act 1998."
Australia's online-safety regulator eSafety said on Wednesday it was investigating Grok-generated "digitally undressed" sexualised deepfake images, assessing adult material under its image-based abuse scheme and noting current child-related examples it had reviewed did not meet the legal threshold for child sexual abuse material under Australian law.
"Australia's online-safety regulator eSafety said on Wednesday it was investigating Grok-generated "digitally undressed" sexualised deepfake images, assessing adult material under its image-based abuse scheme and noting current child-related examples it had reviewed did not meet the legal threshold for child sexual abuse material under Australian law."