At a Glance
- India orders X to curb Grok’s obscene content
- 72 hours deadline to submit compliance report
- Failure could strip X of safe-harbor legal immunity
- Why it matters: This move signals India’s tightening grip on AI-generated content, with global implications for tech platforms
India’s IT ministry has issued a new order to Elon Musk’s X, demanding immediate changes to its AI chatbot Grok after users and lawmakers raised concerns over obscene content. The directive gives X 72 hours to detail corrective steps and warns that non-compliance could jeopardise the platform’s safe-harbor protections.
Immediate Compliance Requirements
The order mandates that X restricts Grok from generating any content that includes nudity, sexualisation, or other unlawful material. It also requires a detailed action-taken report within 72 hours outlining measures to prevent hosting or disseminating content deemed obscene, pornographic, vulgar, indecent, sexually explicit, pedophilic, or otherwise prohibited.
- Nudity
- Sexualisation
- Sexually explicit content
- Other unlawful material
Background and Context
The directive follows complaints from users who shared AI-altered images of women made to appear in bikinis, and from parliamentarian Priyanka Chaturvedi. Separate reports also highlighted Grok generating sexualised images involving minors, which X later removed.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| IT ministry order on Grok | Friday |
| Broader advisory to platforms | Monday |
The order follows a broader advisory issued earlier this week, reminding platforms that compliance with local obscenity laws is essential to retain safe-harbor immunity.
The order stated:
> “It is reiterated that non-compliance with the above requirements shall be viewed seriously and may result in strict legal consequences against your platform, its responsible officers and the users on the platform who violate the law, without any further notice,”
Key Takeaways
- X has 72 hours to report compliance.
- Non-compliance risks losing safe-harbor legal immunity.
- The move reflects India’s firm stance on AI-generated content.
X’s compliance will be closely watched, as the platform continues to contest India’s takedown powers in court while Grok’s use for real-time news commentary keeps its outputs highly visible.
By Olivia M. Hartwell for News Of Los Angeles.
