Centre orders X to immediately remove obscene and sexually explicit content linked to AI misuse

The Centre has directed social media platform X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, to immediately remove and disable access to “obscene, nude, indecent and sexually explicit content” being generated and circulated on the platform, particularly through the misuse of artificial intelligence tools such as Grok. The order has been issued under provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

In a formal communication sent to X’s Chief Compliance Officer, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) asked the platform to undertake an immediate and comprehensive review of Grok AI, which is integrated into X. The ministry instructed the company to prevent the generation, uploading, and dissemination of unlawful content, especially material that violates laws related to decency, obscenity, and the dignity of women.

According to the letter, MeitY observed that Grok AI is being misused by users to create fake accounts and generate or publish obscene images and videos of women in a derogatory and vulgar manner. The ministry said such content is being used to indecently denigrate women, raising serious concerns about platform-level safeguards and enforcement mechanisms.

“Such conduct reflects a serious failure of platform-level safeguards and enforcement mechanisms, and amounts to gross misuse of artificial intelligence technologies in violation of applicable laws,” the ministry stated. It further noted that X is obligated, as an intermediary, to exercise due diligence and ensure that its services are not used to host or spread unlawful content.

The government has also instructed X to take strict action against offending content, users, and accounts found to be violating Indian laws. In addition, the platform has been asked to submit a detailed action taken report (ATR) within 72 hours from the date of issuance of the order, outlining the steps taken to comply with the directions.

MeitY said it has received repeated complaints and representations over time, including through public discourse and from parliamentary stakeholders, regarding certain categories of content on X that may not be compliant with legal standards governing obscenity and decency.

The latest directive comes after Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote to Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw, seeking urgent intervention over the growing misuse of the AI chatbot Grok. She flagged incidents where the tool was allegedly being used to create vulgar and sexually explicit images of women and circulate them on social media platforms.

The government’s move underscores increasing regulatory scrutiny over AI-driven tools and their potential misuse, especially when integrated into large social media platforms with wide reach. It also signals that authorities expect stricter accountability from intermediaries in preventing harm caused by emerging technologies.