Centre warns Musk-led X over obscene content, seeks immediate action on Grok AI misuse

New Delhi:The Union government has issued a strong warning to Elon Musk-owned social media platform X, directing it to immediately remove all obscene and illegal content hosted or generated on its platform, particularly content allegedly created using its artificial intelligence application, Grok. The Centre has cautioned that failure to comply could invite stringent legal action under Indian laws.

In a formal notice sent to X, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) expressed serious concern over instances where Grok and other xAI-powered tools were allegedly misused to generate, host, publish, or circulate obscene, nude, sexually explicit, and indecent content. The ministry stressed that such content, especially when targeting women, amounts to a grave violation of statutory obligations applicable to digital intermediaries operating in India.

According to the ministry, multiple incidents have come to light in which users allegedly exploited Grok AI to create or manipulate images and videos of women in an obscene or derogatory manner. The notice highlighted that fake and anonymous accounts were being used to upload or disseminate such content, raising concerns about platform-level safeguards and enforcement mechanisms.

MeitY has directed X to strictly adhere to its “due diligence” obligations under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the IT Rules, 2021. The ministry warned that non-compliance could result in the platform losing the legal protection available under Section 79 of the IT Act, thereby making it directly liable for user-generated content. The notice further stated that violations could attract action under provisions of the IT Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The government has asked X to submit a detailed compliance report outlining immediate corrective measures taken to prevent the misuse of Grok and similar AI-based services. This includes a comprehensive technical and administrative review of Grok’s prompt-processing systems to ensure that the AI does not generate or promote sexually explicit or objectionable material.

In its communication, the ministry underscored that the misuse of AI tools is not limited to fake accounts alone. It noted that women who share their own photographs or videos online are also being targeted, with their content allegedly manipulated through AI prompts, image alteration, and synthetic outputs. Such practices, the ministry said, reflect serious failures in platform-level moderation and enforcement.

The warning comes amid growing scrutiny of AI-driven content generation tools. In recent weeks, Grok AI faced backlash after allegations surfaced that it was being used to digitally alter images and generate obscene content. The issue also drew political attention, with Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi writing to Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, seeking urgent intervention.

MeitY also referred to its advisory issued on December 12, 2025, which directed all intermediaries to review their internal compliance frameworks, content moderation practices, and user grievance redress mechanisms to ensure continuous and strict adherence to Indian laws.

Reiterating the legal consequences, the ministry said hosting or generating obscene, sexually explicit, indecent, pedophilic, or privacy-violating content — even through AI-enabled systems — is punishable under multiple laws. These include Sections 66E, 67, 67A, and 67B of the IT Act, provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.