Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has deleted more than 600 accounts and blocked over 3,500 pieces of content after acknowledging shortcomings in preventing the generation of obscene and sexually explicit imagery by its AI chatbot, Grok, sources said.
The action follows recent intervention by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which had given X Corp time to submit an Action Taken Report addressing violations related to explicit AI-generated content.
According to sources familiar with the matter, X has “admitted its mistake” and assured the government that it will take corrective steps to ensure compliance with India’s online content regulations. The platform has committed to preventing the creation and circulation of sexually explicit imagery through Grok.
Earlier this month, on January 2, MeitY formally wrote to X, flagging what it described as serious failures in content moderation. Government officials had made it clear that Indian law must be upheld and warned that platforms could lose legal protection if they fail to comply.
Officials also stressed that Grok cannot be treated as a neutral tool. Instead, it has been classified as a content creator, similar to a human creator, and is therefore subject to the same legal responsibilities. Given that Grok operates directly within the X platform, authorities said the potential impact of misuse is significantly higher.
Sources said X responded to the government’s notice five days later. However, the response was deemed unsatisfactory, with officials stating that it largely reiterated the company’s existing user policies without directly addressing the concerns raised by the ministry.
India is not the only country to raise objections to Grok’s content generation practices. Indonesia has suspended the chatbot, while countries including the United Kingdom, France, and Malaysia have previously expressed concerns over AI-generated explicit content.
The government has indicated that it will continue to closely monitor compliance and take further action if required to ensure responsible and lawful use of artificial intelligence platforms in the country.
