Global Backlash Forces X to Restrict Grok After AI-Generated Sexual Images Spark Alarm

Technology company X, owned by U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, has announced new restrictions on its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, following widespread global outrage over the creation of sexualised images involving real women and children.

The announcement was made on Wednesday amid mounting pressure from governments, regulators, and civil society groups across several continents. In response to the controversy, some countries have blocked access to the chatbot, while others have launched formal investigations into its operations. Grok is developed by xAI, an American artificial intelligence company founded by Musk, who also owns X, formerly known as Twitter.

The backlash intensified after it emerged that Grok could digitally alter photographs of real people, enabling users to generate sexually explicit images through simple text prompts. The development triggered serious concerns about privacy, consent, and the online safety of minors.

In response, X said it would geoblock the ability for Grok and X users to generate or modify images of people wearing clothing such as bikinis, underwear, or similar attire in regions where such activity is illegal.

> “We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis,” X’s safety team said.
“This restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers.”



The company also introduced an additional safeguard by limiting image generation and photo-editing features on Grok exclusively to paid subscribers, describing the move as an extra layer of protection to curb abuse.

The European Commission, the digital regulatory authority of the European Union, confirmed it is closely monitoring X’s response. Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said regulators would assess whether the measures sufficiently protect EU citizens.

> “We will carefully assess these changes to ensure they effectively protect people across the European Union,” Regnier said.



Scrutiny of xAI increased after Grok’s so-called “Spicy Mode” reportedly allowed users to generate sexualised deepfake images using prompts such as “put her in a bikini” or “remove her clothes,” leading to the spread of non-consensual imagery online.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office has opened an investigation into xAI, described the situation as deeply troubling.

> “The avalanche of reports detailing non-consensual, sexually explicit material produced and circulated online in recent weeks is shocking,” Bonta said.
“We have zero tolerance for the AI-driven creation and distribution of non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material.”



Bonta added that the investigation would examine whether xAI violated California laws, particularly where the images were allegedly used to harass individuals.

California Governor Gavin Newsom also condemned the issue, describing xAI’s decision to allow such content as “vile” and saying it prompted him to urge the attorney general to take action.

International pressure continued to mount as a coalition of 28 civil society organisations wrote open letters to the chief executives of Apple and Google, calling on them to remove Grok and X from their app stores due to the surge in sexualised AI-generated images.

Indonesia became the first country to fully block access to Grok, with Malaysia following shortly after. Malaysia’s Minister of Communications, Fahmi Fadzil, said X’s measures were “incomplete” and warned that access would only be restored if regulators were convinced harmful content could be effectively prevented.

In India, authorities confirmed that X removed thousands of posts and hundreds of user accounts after official complaints. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s media regulator, Ofcom, said it had opened an investigation into whether X breached British laws governing the distribution of sexual images.

An independent review by Paris-based non-profit AI Forensics analysed more than 20,000 Grok-generated images and found that over half depicted individuals in minimal clothing, most of them women. The study also reported that about two percent of the images appeared to involve minors, further intensifying global concern and calls for stricter AI regulation.