Govt not convinced by X’s reply in Grok AI obscenity case: 'Response not adequate, details required'

The Ministry of Electronics and IT has now asked X to furnish detailed information on the actions taken so far and future preventive measures, including clear data on content removals

• India seeks more details from X on action against obscene Grok AI content
• Government finds X's response insufficient, demands specifics on content removal
• X must clarify safeguards to prevent recurrence of such misuse.

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The Centre has sought additional information from X, asking for clarity on the precise action taken against obscene content linked to its Grok AI, as well as safeguards being put in place to prevent similar incidents, sources said on Wednesday. While the platform has submitted a detailed response, the government has found it insufficient.

According to sources, X furnished an extensive reply asserting its compliance with Indian laws and regulatory guidelines, and underscored India’s importance as a key market. The company also highlighted the content moderation policies it follows, particularly with respect to misleading posts and non-consensual sexualised material.

However, officials said the response failed to address critical aspects, including specifics on content takedowns and concrete steps taken to deal with the Grok AI-related obscene content and prevent recurrence. Though the reply was neither dismissive nor defiant, it did not adequately meet the government’s expectations, sources added.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT has now asked X to furnish detailed information on the actions taken so far and future preventive measures, including clear data on content removals. The platform has been directed to respond to these follow-up queries immediately.

X has not issued any public statement through its official channels detailing the contents of its submission to the Indian government.

The company had been granted extended time until Wednesday, 5 pm, to submit its Action Taken Report (ATR), following a stern notice from the government over the generation of indecent and sexually explicit content through misuse of AI tools such as Grok.

On the question of safe harbour protections, government sources clarified that the conditional immunity under Section 79 of the IT Act applies to intermediaries like X, and not specifically to AI tools such as Grok. They added that intermediaries can lose this protection if they fail to act after receiving notice or do not meet due diligence requirements once a case is taken to court.

Earlier, on Sunday, X’s ‘Safety’ handle had said the platform removes illegal content, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), suspends accounts permanently, and works with local authorities and law enforcement when required. The company had also stated that users who prompt Grok to generate illegal content would face the same consequences as those who upload such material, reiterating the stance previously articulated by Elon Musk.

On January 2, the IT Ministry had pulled up X and directed it to immediately take down all vulgar, obscene and unlawful content, particularly that generated through Grok, warning of legal action in case of non-compliance.

In its directive, the ministry asked the US-based firm to submit a detailed ATR within 72 hours, outlining the technical and organisational safeguards adopted or proposed for Grok, the oversight role of the Chief Compliance Officer, action taken against offending content and users, and mechanisms to ensure adherence to mandatory reporting requirements under Indian law.

The ministry noted that Grok AI, developed by X and integrated into the platform, was being misused to create fake accounts for hosting, generating and circulating obscene images or videos of women in a derogatory manner.

It added that such misuse was not limited to fake accounts, but also involved targeting women who host or publish their own images or videos, through prompts, image manipulation and synthetic outputs. The ministry said this pointed to serious lapses in platform-level safeguards and enforcement, and constituted a gross misuse of artificial intelligence in violation of applicable laws.

The government reiterated that compliance with the IT Act and associated rules is mandatory, and that the safe harbour protection under Section 79 is contingent upon strict adherence to due diligence obligations.

In its communication, the ministry advised X to strictly refrain from hosting, publishing, transmitting, storing or sharing any content that is obscene, pornographic, vulgar, indecent, sexually explicit, paedophilic or otherwise prohibited under law.

It further warned that failure to comply with due diligence requirements would lead to the withdrawal of immunity under Section 79, and expose the platform to action under other laws, including the IT Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

X was also directed to strictly enforce its terms of service and AI usage policies, including imposing strong deterrents such as account suspension or termination against violators.

Additionally, the platform has been asked to remove or disable access to all unlawful content without delay, in line with the timelines prescribed under the IT Rules, 2021, while ensuring that evidence is preserved.

Beyond India, X has faced regulatory scrutiny in other jurisdictions as well. The UK’s communications regulator Ofcom recently said it was aware of serious concerns regarding a feature on Grok that generates undressed images of individuals and sexualised images of children.

Ofcom said it had urgently contacted X and xAI to assess steps taken to meet legal obligations for user protection in the UK, and that it would conduct a swift assessment to determine whether the matter warrants a formal investigation.