Notice to X for Misuse of Grok to Create and Share Obscene, Indecent, Explicit Contents
NEW DELHI, Jan 2: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a stern notice to X Corp citing failure to comply with statutory due diligence obligations under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IT Rules, 2021.
The government ordered X Corp to send an action taken report (ATR) within 72 hours detailing the measures adopted, the role of the chief compliance officer, and compliance with mandatory reporting under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
The ministry expressed grave concern over reports that X’s AI service “Grok” is being misused to create and share obscene, indecent, and sexually explicit content targeting women.
The letter highlights that users have exploited Grok’s AI capabilities to generate synthetic images and videos in a derogatory manner, violating privacy and dignity. MeitY warned that such acts normalise sexual harassment and undermine legal safeguards.
The ministry directed X to conduct a comprehensive review of Grok’s technical and governance frameworks to prevent generation of unlawful content. It said Grok must enforce strict user policies, including suspension and termination of violators. All offending content should be immediately removed without tampering with evidence, it said.
MeitY said non-compliance could lead to loss of safe harbour under Section 79 of the IT Act and trigger penal action under multiple laws, including the BNS, the Indecent Representation of Women Act, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The notice was also copied to key ministries, commissions, and state authorities, signalling a coordinated crackdown on AI-enabled obscenity.
Earlier in the day, the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi had demanded the Centre’s intervention to ensure safeguards were built into AI apps of X for the sake of women’s safety. In a letter to Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, Chaturvedi said a new trend has emerged on social media, especially on X, where men are using fake accounts to post women’s photos and pushing out prompts to minimise their clothing and sexualise them through the misuse of the Al Grok feature.
“It is not just limited to sharing photos through fake accounts but are also targeting women who post their own photos. This is unacceptable and gross misuse of an Al function. I write to you as an active member of the Standing Committee on IT & Communication to urge you as a minister to take this up strongly with X to ensure safeguards are built in their AI apps to make the platform a safe space for women,” Chaturvedi said. What is worse is that Grok is enabling this behaviour by adhering to such requests, Chaturvedi said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
