Social media platform X has imposed new restrictions on its Grok AI tool to prevent the editing of images depicting real people in revealing attire, amid backlash over non-consensual deepfake content.
The company, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, announced the measures on Thursday, stating they apply universally, including to paid subscribers.
“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 said in a statement.
“This restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers,” it added.
The decision follows intense criticism in Britain and the United States, where Grok’s capabilities have been accused of facilitating “disgusting” and “shameful” non-consensual sexual images, including those involving children, according to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
British media regulator Ofcom has initiated an investigation under the Online Safety Act, which mandates platforms to block illegal content, with potential penalties including fines up to 10 percent of global revenue or 18 million pounds ($23 million), and even site blocking in extreme cases.
Starmer, speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, indicated impending action from X, saying: “I have been informed this morning that X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law. If so, that is welcome, but we’re not going to back down, and they must act.”
The announcement came shortly after California launched a state-level inquiry into the dissemination of sexualized images generated by Grok.
Musk, who acquired the platform formerly known as Twitter in 2022, defended Grok on X, asserting: “I am not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok.”
He further explained: “Obviously, Grok does not spontaneously generate images, it does so only according to user requests. When asked to generate images, it will refuse to produce anything illegal, as the operating principle for Grok is to obey the laws of any given country or state.”
Musk added that any unexpected outputs from “adversarial hacking” would be addressed immediately.
Earlier, X had limited image creation and editing to paid users, a step dismissed by UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall as “monetising abuse.”
The government has pledged support for Ofcom’s actions, while Musk and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have framed potential bans as assaults on free speech.
The controversy highlights growing regulatory scrutiny on AI-driven content amid concerns over deepfakes and online safety.
