X admits mistake in Grok AI controversy, blocks 3,500 posts and deletes 600+ accounts in India

X admits mistake, says it will comply with Indian law; 3,500 posts blocked, 600+ accounts deleted: Report

Social media platform X has assured the Indian government of full compliance with its laws. The company has blocked thousands of content pieces and deleted hundreds of accounts. These actions follow government directives to remove vulgar and unlawful material, including content from its AI chatbot Grok. X is also removing child sexual abuse material and suspending associated accounts. Social media platform X has acknowledged lapses in handling content on its platform and conveyed to the Indian government that it will fully comply with Indian law, government sources told ANI. As part of corrective action, X has reportedly blocked around 3,500 pieces of content and deleted more than 600 accounts, while assuring authorities that it will not allow obscene imagery on the platform going forward. The actions were taken following directions issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to remove vulgar, obscene and unlawful content, particularly content generated through X's artificial intelligence chatbot Grok. X has previously told Centre that it is introducing additional guardrails for Grok, including stricter image-generation filters and refined safeguards aimed at preventing the misuse of user images, people familiar with the matter had told The Economic Times. MeitY is currently reviewing the company's detailed response outlining measures taken to curb the spread of obscene and unlawful content on the platform. Last Friday, MeitY had directed X to remove all vulgar and unlawful content within 72 hours and to take action against offending users. After X sought more time, the deadline was extended by 48 hours. In a subsequent compliance report submitted on Wednesday, the platform said it was taking action against illegal content across the site. Despite these assurances, Grok continued to generate sexually explicit content based on user prompts as of Wednesday evening, triggering criticism and scrutiny from governments globally. In its order to X, MeitY had also asked the platform to undertake a comprehensive technical, procedural and governance-level review of Grok AI. This included scrutiny of prompt processing, output generation, image handling and safety guardrails to ensure the chatbot does not generate or promote nudity, sexualisation or unlawful content. The ministry further flagged serious lapses in statutory due diligence under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IT Rules, 2021, warning that failure to demonstrably comply with these obligations could jeopardise X's "safe harbour" protection under Section 79 of the IT Act. As a significant social media intermediary, X is required to strictly adhere to Indian laws to retain this immunity from liability for third-party content. Government officials have previously indicated that the Centre is prepared to revoke the platform's safe harbour status if necessary, citing the safety and dignity of citizens online as a priority. X, formerly Twitter, had briefly lost this legal immunity in the past after failing to comply with IT Rules mandating the appointment of key India-based compliance officials, before eventually restoring compliance following court intervention.

Grok obscene image controversy: Elon Musk’s X accepts mistakes, assures compliance with Indian law

The issue has sparked wider global concern about misuse of AI tools, pushing the platform to promise stronger safeguards and more transparency. Elon Musk's social media platform X has admitted its mistakes in handling the content generated by its AI chatbot Grok. The company has also assured the Government of India that it will comply with Indian laws. The assurance follows strict action by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology after obscene and sexually explicit content circulated on the platform. Government sources said X has already blocked thousands of posts and removed hundreds of accounts found violating Indian rules. The platform has also promised not to allow obscene imagery in the future. Furthermore, under the global pressure over the misuse of AI tools, Musk has also announced that the company will make X’s recommendation system public. Also read: Instagram data of 17.5 million users reportedly leaked and sold on dark web: How to check if you are affected and stay safe According to government sources, X blocked around 3,500 pieces of content and deleted more than 600 accounts for violating Indian law. Officials said the platform has accepted its lapse and initiated corrective measures. The action came after the IT Ministry issued a notice on January 2, directing X to remove unlawful content within 72 hours and ensure compliance with legal obligations. The controversy broke out after Grok was reportedly being misused to generate and circulate vulgar and sexually explicit images. Many of these images targeted women, which have been considered serious threats to dignity, privacy, and online safety. The ministry said such content was a violation of provisions under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and related digital media rules. Also read: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 price drops by over Rs 19,000: Check details here The government warned that non-compliance could result in the loss of legal protection available to social media platforms and lead to further action. X was also directed to review Grok, strictly enforce its policies, remove unlawful content without delay, and submit a report on the steps taken. While X had earlier submitted a response, officials said it was not adequate. After further engagement, the company assured authorities that stronger safeguards would be put in place. In a public statement, X warned users of strict action against illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, and said accounts involved would be permanently suspended. Also read: Want to build AI agents? 5 simple ways to start for beginners Amid the controversy, Elon Musk tweeted, 'We will make the new X algorithm, including all code used to determine what organic and advertising posts are recommended to users, open source in 7 days. This will be repeated every 4 weeks, with comprehensive developer notes, to help you understand what changed.' Experts say that this move is aimed at improving transparency and addressing concerns around how content spreads on the platform. Concerns over Grok are not limited to India. Countries like Brazil, France, Germany, Malaysia, and the United States have also raised questions about the chatbot. Indonesia recently became the first country to temporarily block access to it. Launched in 2023, Grok remains free for X users, who can access it by tagging it in posts or replies.