Grok AI obscene content: Govt gives X deadline till Jan 7 to submit report
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New Delhi: The government has granted X additional time until January 7 to submit a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) after issuing a stern warning to the Elon Musk-led social media platform over indecent and sexually explicit content generated through misuse of AI-based services like Grok and other tools.
The extension came after X requested additional time from the IT Ministry, sources told PTI. On Sunday, X’s ‘Safety’ handle said it would take action against illegal content on its platform, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and coordinating with local governments and law enforcement as necessary. “Anyone using or prompting Grok to create illegal content will face the same consequences as if they uploaded such content themselves,” the platform reiterated, reflecting Musk’s stance on unlawful material.
Government sources confirmed that X’s request for additional time has now been approved, with the submission deadline set for January 7.
The Centre had on Friday pulled up X, directing it to immediately remove all vulgar, obscene, and unlawful content generated via Grok or face action under the law. The IT Ministry had also asked the US-based social media firm to submit a detailed ATR within 72 hours of the directive, initially due by January 5.
In its January 2 communication, the ministry noted that Grok AI, developed by X and integrated into the platform, was being misused to create fake accounts that host, generate, publish, or share obscene images or videos of women in a derogatory or vulgar manner. “This is not limited to fake accounts but also targets women who host or publish their images or videos, through prompts, image manipulation, and synthetic outputs,” the ministry said, describing the misuse as a serious failure of platform-level safeguards and enforcement mechanisms.
The ministry further stated that such conduct violates regulatory provisions under the IT Act and rules, particularly concerning obscene, indecent, pornographic, paedophilic, or otherwise unlawful content. “These acts and omissions are viewed with grave concern, as they violate the dignity, privacy, and safety of women and children, normalise sexual harassment and exploitation online, and undermine statutory due diligence obligations for intermediaries operating in India,” the IT Ministry said.
The government emphasised that compliance with the IT Act and its rules is mandatory, and statutory exemptions under Section 79 (safe harbour protections for intermediaries) are conditional upon strict observance of due diligence obligations. Accordingly, X has been instructed to strictly desist from hosting, displaying, uploading, publishing, transmitting, storing, or sharing any content that is obscene, pornographic, vulgar, indecent, sexually explicit, paedophilic, or otherwise prohibited by law. Any failure to comply would result in loss of Section 79 protections and liability under other laws, including the IT Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The ministry has also directed X to enforce user terms of service and AI usage restrictions, including suspension, termination, or other enforcement actions against violating users and accounts. X must remove or disable access “without delay” to all content generated or disseminated in violation of Indian laws, while preserving evidence for potential investigations.
The ATR must cover specific technical and organisational measures adopted or proposed in relation to Grok, the role and oversight exercised by the Chief Compliance Officer, actions taken against offending content, users, and accounts, as well as mechanisms to ensure ongoing, auditable compliance with mandatory reporting requirements under Indian law. The ministry warned that non-compliance could trigger appropriate action, including the loss of safe harbour protections under Section 79 and other legal consequences.
X is also facing scrutiny in other countries, including the UK and Malaysia. Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, said it is aware of serious concerns about Grok generating undressed images and sexualised content involving children. “We have made urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with legal duties to protect users in the UK. Based on their response, we will undertake a swift assessment to determine whether potential compliance issues warrant investigation,” Ofcom said.
With PTI inputs