New Delhi: The Indian government has asked social media platform X for additional information regarding obscene content generated through its Grok AI interface, stating that the company’s earlier submission, while detailed, does not fully address key concerns. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has sought specifics on takedown actions and measures to prevent recurrence of such content.
X submitted a response on Wednesday, emphasizing its compliance with Indian laws, strict content moderation policies, and respect for local guidelines. The platform highlighted actions taken against misleading posts and non-consensual sexualised images. However, government sources noted that the reply lacked critical details on enforcement steps and accountability measures for Grok AI-generated content.
The IT Ministry had earlier given X a strict deadline of January 4 to submit an Action Taken Report after issuing a directive to remove all vulgar, obscene, and unlawful content generated via Grok. The platform was warned that failure to comply could lead to loss of statutory safe harbour protections under Section 79 of the IT Act, which grants conditional immunity to intermediaries.
Officials clarified that safe harbour does not automatically cover AI tools like Grok; intermediaries can lose immunity if they fail to act on notified violations. X has been instructed to enforce its user terms rigorously, including suspensions or terminations of accounts responsible for violations, and to remove offending content promptly without compromising evidence.
The IT Ministry has pointed out that Grok AI is being misused to create fake accounts and generate obscene images or videos targeting women, both by manipulating existing content and through synthetic outputs. Such misuse, the ministry said, reflects serious gaps in platform safeguards and enforcement mechanisms.
X has faced similar scrutiny internationally, with the UK’s Ofcom raising concerns over the generation of undressed images and sexualised depictions of children through Grok. Authorities in Malaysia have also flagged the platform for violations. Both regulators are monitoring compliance and assessing potential legal action.
The government has made it clear that X must provide comprehensive details on all measures taken to remove content, discipline offending accounts, and prevent future misuse, reiterating that adherence to Indian laws is mandatory.
