The Indian government has issued a stern directive to Elon Musk's social media platform X, demanding the immediate removal of obscene and unlawful content, particularly that generated by its artificial intelligence application Grok. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) delivered the ultimatum on Friday, warning of serious legal consequences for non-compliance.
Government's 72-Hour Deadline and Legal Warning
In a formal notice sent to the chief compliance officer of X Corp's India operations, MeitY accused the platform of failing to meet its statutory due diligence obligations under the IT Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The ministry has demanded a detailed action-taken report within 72 hours, outlining steps to prevent the generation and spread of explicit material through the misuse of AI services like 'Grok' and 'xAlts'.
The government's communication was unequivocal in its threat. "Non-compliance with the above requirements shall be viewed seriously and may result in strict legal consequences against your platform, without any further notice, under the IT Act, the IT Rules, BNSS, BNS and other applicable laws," the notice stated.
Specific Concerns Over Grok AI Misuse
The ministry highlighted that it has received persistent reports, including from Members of Parliament, about content on X that violates laws concerning decency and obscenity. A specific and alarming trend identified is the misuse of the "Grok AI" service.
It has been observed that users are exploiting this AI tool to create fake accounts that host, generate, publish, or share images and videos of women in a derogatory or vulgar manner. This has raised significant concerns about the weaponization of AI for targeted harassment and the creation of non-consensual intimate imagery.
Comprehensive Review and Enforcement Ordered
In response to these findings, MeitY has ordered X to undertake an immediate and comprehensive review of the Grok AI application at technical, procedural, and governance levels. Furthermore, the platform has been directed to rigorously enforce its own user terms of service, acceptable use policies, and AI usage restrictions.
The government has mandated that X implement strong deterrent measures, including account suspension and termination, against users and accounts that violate these policies. To ensure a coordinated governmental response, copies of the notice have been sent to the Ministries of Home Affairs, Women and Child Development, and Information and Broadcasting, as well as to the National Commission for Women (NCW), the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), and the chief secretaries of all states and union territories.
Broader Implications for AI Governance
This action marks a significant escalation in India's regulatory scrutiny of AI-powered tools on social media platforms. It underscores the government's intent to hold intermediaries accountable for content generated by their AI features, not just user-posted material. The 72-hour deadline places immense pressure on X to demonstrate concrete and effective moderation mechanisms for its Grok AI service. The outcome of this directive could set a precedent for how other AI-integrated platforms operate within India's legal framework, balancing innovation with user safety and legal compliance.
