Government warns X Corp over Grok AI misuse; platform assures action on illegal content

Elon Musk-run X Corp on Sunday said it is continuing to take strong action against illegal content on its social media platform, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The company said it removes such content, permanently suspends accounts, and works closely with local governments and law enforcement agencies whenever needed.

The statement came after the Indian government took strict action against X Corp over the misuse of its AI chatbot, Grok, to generate and share obscene and indecent content online.

X safety warns users against misusing Grok AI

Responding to a post by Elon Musk, X Safety said that anyone using Grok to create illegal content will face serious consequences. Musk had earlier said, “Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.”

X Safety confirmed that such content is removed immediately and accounts involved are permanently banned. The platform also said it cooperates with law enforcement authorities when required.

“For more information on our policies, please refer to our help pages for our full X Rules and range of enforcement options,” X Safety said in its post.

Government orders X Corp to submit action report within 72 hours

Earlier, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a strong directive to X Corp for failing to stop the creation and spread of obscene, nude, and indecent content on its platform.

On Friday, the government ordered X Corp to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 72 hours. The report must explain the steps taken to prevent hosting, generating, publishing, or sharing illegal content using AI services like Grok and other xAI tools.

The ministry warned that failure to comply could lead to strict legal action under multiple laws.

MeitY warns of legal action and loss of safe harbour

According to the directive, non-compliance may result in legal action against the platform, its responsible officers, and users who break the law. This action could be taken under the IT Act, IT Rules, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and other applicable laws.

MeitY also warned that X Corp could lose its safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the IT Act, which protects platforms from liability for user content if they follow the rules.

Review of Grok AI ordered to stop unlawful content

The ministry has asked X Corp to carry out a complete review of Grok’s technical systems and governance rules. It said Grok must follow strict user policies, including suspending or terminating users who misuse the service.

All illegal content must be removed immediately, without changing or destroying any evidence, MeitY added. The government also said violations could attract penalties under laws such as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indecent Representation of Women Act