X takes action on obscene Grok images, 600 accounts to be deleted: Reports

New Delhi: Social media platform X has blocked 3,500 posts and deleted 600 accounts after the Indian government flagged obscene content on the site, according to government sources cited by ANI.

X has reportedly assured authorities that it will not allow such material on its platform and will comply with government regulations. 

The action follows submissions made by the Elon Musk-led platform to the IT Ministry, after the Centre directed X to curb the misuse of its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok in generating sexualized and obscene images of women.

Responding to criticism last week, Elon Musk warned users against illegal activity, saying, "Anyone using the chatbot to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content."

Officials said that while X’s reply to the government was detailed, it was considered insufficient. The IT Ministry has asked the platform for further information, including specifics on takedowns, actions taken against offending accounts, and measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. X has been directed to respond to these additional queries immediately.

Also read: European Commission probes Grok over ‘illegal’ sexually explicit childlike images

Meanwhile, Indonesia has become the first country to completely suspend access to Grok amid growing global concerns over the misuse of AI to create sexualised images without consent, CBS News reported.

CBS News verified that the tool complied with requests to alter images of women to show them in bikinis or minimal clothing, including images of prominent public figures such as US First Lady Melania Trump.

Announcing the move, Indonesia's Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said the suspension was aimed at protecting vulnerable groups.

"In order to protect women, children, and the public from the risks of fake pornographic content generated using the artificial intelligence technology, the government... has temporarily blocked access to the Grok application," Hafid said."The government views non-consensual deepfake practices as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space."