The Indian government is currently scrutinising the detailed response submitted by social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, regarding its handling of the misuse of its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok. This follows a stern directive from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to crack down on users creating sexually explicit and obscene images of women and minors using the AI tool.
Government Ultimatum and Platform's Submission
The IT Ministry had issued a strong warning to the Elon Musk-led platform, demanding immediate removal of all unlawful content generated via Grok. X was given an extended deadline until 5 PM on Wednesday, January 7, to submit a comprehensive Action Taken Report (ATR). Sources confirmed to PTI that the platform has now submitted its response, which is under active examination by the ministry. The specific details of X's submission have not been made public yet.
In its ultimatum issued on January 2, the ministry highlighted a severe failure of platform safeguards. It stated that Grok AI, developed by X and integrated on its platform, was being misused to create fake accounts for generating and sharing derogatory and vulgar images of women. The notice emphasised that this was not limited to fake accounts but also targeted women who publish their own content, through prompts and synthetic image manipulation.
Strict Compliance Demands and Legal Warnings
The government's directive was unequivocal. It asked X to spell out the technical and organisational measures taken concerning the Grok application, the oversight role of its Chief Compliance Officer, and actions against offending content and accounts. The ministry made it clear that compliance with the IT Act and its rules is not optional for the platform.
It warned that the safe harbour immunity under Section 79 of the IT Act, which protects intermediaries from liability, is conditional upon strict observance of due diligence. Any failure would result in the loss of this exemption, making X liable for consequential action under Indian laws, including the IT Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The platform was instructed to enforce its user terms of service, implement strong deterrents like account suspension, and remove all illegal content "without delay."
X's Public Stance and Global Scrutiny
Prior to submitting its report, X's 'Safety' handle stated on Sunday that the platform takes action against illegal content, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it and permanently suspending accounts. It reiterated Elon Musk's stance, stating, "Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content."
The controversy is not confined to India. X and its Grok feature have drawn criticism internationally. Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, has also raised serious concerns about Grok producing "undressed images of people and sexualised images of children." The regulator has made urgent contact with X and its AI arm, xAI, to assess their compliance with UK laws, indicating potential investigations. Similar concerns have been reported in Malaysia.
The outcome of the IT Ministry's examination will be crucial in determining the next steps, which could include legal action against the platform if its response is deemed insufficient to address the grave concerns over AI misuse and user safety.
