The Indian government has taken stringent action against Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. On Friday, the central government issued a stern notice to the company, demanding an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 72 hours. The directive calls for immediate steps to stop the creation and spread of obscene and sexually explicit content generated through the misuse of artificial intelligence tools like 'Grok'.
Government Cites Legal Failures by X
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) served the notice, highlighting X's "failure to observe statutory due diligence obligations" under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The government's communication stresses the urgent need for compliance to prevent the hosting and uploading of indecent material created via AI-based services from xAI.
The notice specifically asks X to detail the technical and organizational measures it has taken or plans to take regarding the Grok application. It also demands information on the oversight role of the Chief Compliance Officer, actions against offending content and accounts, and the mechanisms in place to comply with Section 33 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
A Disturbing Trend of AI-Enabled Abuse
The government pointed out that the problem is not limited to fake accounts. It involves the targeting of women who share their own images online. These pictures are being manipulated using prompts and synthetic AI outputs to create abusive content. This trend indicates a serious breakdown in platform safeguards and represents a gross violation of laws through AI technology misuse.
This issue gained political attention after Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. She labeled the practices "unacceptable" and a severe breach of women's privacy, urging immediate government intervention.
Legal Consequences for Non-Compliance
The government's notice carries a clear warning for X. Failure to comply with the due diligence obligations will lead to the loss of legal immunity under Section 79 of the IT Act. This would make the platform directly liable for content, opening it up to consequential legal action under the IT Act and the BNSS.
Internationally, similar concerns are rising. French ministers have reportedly informed prosecutors about sexually explicit content produced by Grok on X, describing it as "manifestly illegal". This global scrutiny underscores the widespread alarm over the misuse of generative AI tools.
Renewed Fears Over AI and Safety
The controversy stems from a recent, alarming trend on X where users exploited Grok to manipulate photos of women and children into sexually explicit imagery. This has sparked renewed fears about AI-enabled sexual abuse. Victims have faced harassment and humiliation as this non-consensual, abusive content was widely shared, highlighting the critical need for robust platform governance and ethical AI deployment.
