X restricts Grok after explicit deepfake allegations

Elon Musk says he has seen “literally zero” underage nude images from Grok as X tightens safeguards amid deepfake backlash

Last Updated: Jan 16, 2026, 16:04 IST6 min

X said high-priority violations would be removed immed...

Elon Musk's microblogging platform X has rolled out new safety restrictions for artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok’s image generation tools.

On January 15, xAI announced that Grok would no longer be able to create or edit sexually explicit images of real people on X. The company said it had introduced new technical restrictions, including blocking edits to images of real individuals in revealing clothing. The announcement came after growing criticism and regulatory pressure over sexually explicit deepfakes made using the chatbot.

Musk responds to claims about underage nude images

While X and xAI have moved to tighten safeguards on Grok’s image generation tools, Elon Musk has also responded directly to claims that the chatbot was producing nude images of underage girls.

“I [am] not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. Literally zero,” Musk wrote in a post on X on January 14.

Musk’s comments came as governments and regulators in several countries raised concerns over the use of Grok and other AI tools to create explicit, manipulated images—often featuring women and girls—without consent. Critics have called for the chatbot to be removed from app stores, while authorities in multiple countries and some states in the US have launched probes into the technology and the platform’s response.

In the same post, Musk said that Grok does not create images on its own, insisting that it only produces images when prompted by a user. “Obviously, Grok does not spontaneously generate images, it does so only according to user requests,” he wrote.

He also claimed the tool is designed to refuse content that breaches the law. “When asked to generate images, it will refuse to produce anything illegal, as the operating principle for Grok is to obey the laws of any given country or state,” Musk said. He added that the system could still be manipulated through hostile or malicious prompting, saying: “There may be times when adversarial hacking of Grok prompts does something unexpected. If that happens, we fix the bug immediately.”

Earlier this month, Musk also warned users against misuse of Grok. “Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content,” he wrote in a post on January 3.

Grok ban, investigations in multiple countries

Authorities in multiple countries have moved to limit or scrutinise Grok’s availability.

Indonesia and Malaysia have suspended the chatbot entirely, becoming the first countries to block access to the tool, citing concerns over explicit content.

In the UK, lawmakers are expected to criminalise the creation of sexually explicit deepfake images, with X working to ensure it meets legal requirements.

In the United States, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said he had launched an investigation into Grok’s role in producing sexualised deepfakes, pointing to a surge of complaints in recent weeks.

India seeks more details from X after Grok-linked obscene content

In December, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) asked X to “remove or disable access, without delay, to all content already generated or disseminated in violation of applicable laws”, and to do so within timelines set under the Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021. The ministry also instructed the platform not to compromise evidence while taking down content.

X was later given extended time until 5 pm on January 7 to submit its action report after the government issued a warning about indecent content being generated through Grok.

According to a report by PTI, citing sources familiar with the matter, X told the ministry it respects Indian laws and guidelines and described India as a major market for the company. It also outlined content removal policies relating to misleading information and non-consensual sexual content. However, while the government found X's responses to be “detailed”, they believed it was “not adequate”. The ministry has reportedly requested more information from the platform, including specific actions taken to prevent similar incidents in the future, PTI reported.

What legal actions can India take against Grok?

Jayashree Swaminathan, partner at HSA Advocates, told Forbes India the ministry recorded that Grok was being misused “to host, generate, publish and transmit obscene and sexually explicit content”, and that it was “particularly targeting women through synthetic and AI-manipulated outputs”.

“Under the Information Technology Act, 2000, foreign digital platforms like X are subject to Indian jurisdiction if their services involve computer networks located within India or impact Indian users,” she said.

Swaminathan added that as an intermediary operating in India, X must follow takedown rules even when users create harmful content using AI tools. “X must comply with the IT Rules, 2021, which mandate the removal of unlawful content regardless of whether it is user-generated or AI-facilitated,” she said. She also said the alleged misuse could attract criminal liability under provisions of the IT Act and other laws, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, in cases involving minors.

During a Bloomberg forum in November 2025, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw stressed on the need for online platforms to take responsibility for what they host. Earlier this month, the minister reiterated this while speaking with media on the sidelines of a MeitY event.

“Today, social media is such a big influence in our society. They must take responsibility for the content they host,” Vaishnaw said.

He also pointed to recommendations by a Parliamentary standing committee which call for a stricter law to enforce accountability for social media companies. In its third advisory of 2025, MeitY has also issued a broader directive to social media platforms warning them to remove obscene material or face strict action.

Ashley St. Clair sues xAI over alleged Grok deepfake images

Ashley St. Clair, mother of one of Elon Musk’s children and a conservative influencer in the US, has filed a lawsuit against Musk’s company xAI, accusing its chatbot Grok of generating sexually explicit images of her without her consent, The Wall Street Journal reported on January 16.

According to the complaint, Grok was used to digitally alter her photographs in a way that appeared to remove her clothing, producing bikini-style images. St. Clair said she never agreed to any such content being created.

In the lawsuit, she claimed Grok was “unreasonably dangerous as designed” and constituted a public nuisance. She also asked the court for a temporary restraining order to stop the chatbot from generating images that undress her.

She said she later told Grok directly that she did not consent to her images being edited or used in that way. According to her complaint, Grok responded by saying it had been intended as a joke and promised it would not alter her images again without clear permission. St. Clair claimed that the promise was not kept.

The complaint further claims Grok produced degrading images of her as an adult, including content containing hateful messaging and Nazi symbols. “In one image, St. Clair, who is Jewish, is stripped and put in a string bikini covered with swastikas,” the complaint said.

Elon Musk and his company are yet to issue a response over the lawsuit.

First Published: Jan 16, 2026, 16:15

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Vasudha Mukherjee

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