New Delhi: Elon Musk, owner of microblogging platform X, has warned that users misusing the platform’s AI service, Grok, to create illegal content will face severe consequences. The statement comes after the Indian government issued a notice to X over vulgar, obscene, and unlawful content circulating on the platform.
“Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content,” Musk posted on X on Sunday, addressing concerns about the misuse of the AI tool to generate inappropriate material.
X’s Global Government Affairs account echoed Musk’s statement, saying the platform will take firm action against illegal content, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The platform stated it would remove offending material, permanently suspend accounts involved, and cooperate with local authorities as required.
The government notice, issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on January 2, directed X to immediately remove all vulgar, obscene, and unlawful content, particularly generated using the Grok AI service. MeitY also requested a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) within 72 hours of the order.
The ministry’s notice highlighted that Grok was being misused to create fake accounts and generate, publish, or share derogatory images and videos of women. The directive emphasized that social media platforms must act promptly against such content or face legal action under Indian law.
Earlier, Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi had urged the government to intervene after noticing increasing misuse of Grok to create and circulate vulgar images targeting women. The MeitY order stressed that social media firms must review their compliance mechanisms and ensure stricter enforcement against obscene and unlawful content.
The Global Government Affairs team at X also clarified that the platform allows “consensually produced and distributed adult content” if properly labelled and not prominently displayed, aligning with their content policies.
This latest development underscores growing scrutiny on AI tools and social media platforms in India, particularly regarding content moderation and compliance with local laws.
