X blocks 3,500 posts, deletes 600 accounts over obscene content as India flags Grok misuse

Social media platform X has blocked around 3,500 pieces of objectionable content and permanently removed more than 600 accounts involved in generating or sharing non-consensual obscene material, reports citing sources said.

According to HT, X has assured authorities that its operations comply with India’s online content laws. The action follows a recent government directive asking X Corp, owned by Elon Musk, to submit an action taken report on obscene and sexually explicit content generated by its AI chatbot, Grok.

Government scrutiny over Grok misuse

The move comes amid heightened scrutiny by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) over the misuse of Grok. Moneycontrol had earlier reported that the government issued a second notice to X after expressing dissatisfaction with its response to the first notice.

On January 2, the government sent an official notice after users were found misusing Grok to generate non-consensual obscene images. Sources now say X has committed to ensuring that obscene imagery will not be permitted on the platform, aligning its operations with Indian legal standards.

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X ‘admits mistake’, assures compliance

Sources said X “admitted its mistake” and assured the government that the creation of obscene images would be stopped. In its January 2 letter, MeitY flagged serious shortcomings in curbing sexually explicit content. “The law of the land must prevail,” an official was quoted as saying by HT.

Officials warned that X could lose legal protection under Indian law if it fails to comply. They added that similar action could be taken against other platforms if their AI chatbots violate content norms. “In Grok’s case, the impact is accelerated because it operates on a platform like X,” an official said.

Grok not a neutral platform tool: MeitY

The ministry has made it clear that Grok cannot be treated as a neutral platform tool. “The mindset has now changed. Earlier, they were operating from a higher position, but we have brought the issue down to the level of the law. Grok cannot be treated as a platform. It is a content creator, an artificial content creator,” the official said.

Government unhappy with X response

Five days after receiving the ministry’s letter, X reportedly responded, but the government said it was not satisfied with the reply. An official described the response as X “essentially reproducing its own user policy across five pages” without addressing the core concerns raised by the ministry.

Other countries also raise objections

India is not the only country to object to explicit content generated by Grok. Indonesia recently suspended the chatbot over concerns related to AI-generated pornographic material. The UK, France and Malaysia have also raised objections to explicit content generation in the past.