X Restricts Grok’s Image Editing Function Amid Global Concerns

The move came after several authorities from around the world launched investigations into or lawsuits against Elon Musk’s social media platform.

Illustration of generative AI chatbot Grok, in an undated file image. Riccardo Milani/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

X said on Jan. 14 it was imposing limits on Grok’s image editing capabilities, after countries around the world opened investigations and threatened lawsuits over the use of the built-in artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to generate sexually explicit images.

X’s “Safety” unit wrote in an article posted on the social media platform that it had implemented measures to prevent the Grok account from editing images of real people to make them appear in revealing clothing, such as bikinis.

The Safety unit said that image creation and editing via the Grok account is now only available for paid subscribers. The unit said this was to add an “extra layer of protection by helping to ensure that individuals who attempt to abuse the Grok account to violate the law or our policies can be held accountable.”

“We now geoblock the ability of all users to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear, and similar attire via the Grok account and in Grok in X in those jurisdictions where it’s illegal,” the statement said.

Grok can be used in X either by tagging the Grok account in a message and typing a request, or by clicking the Grok icon to open a chat dialogue box, similar in appearance to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

The Safety unit said it was working to add additional safeguards and was taking “swift and decisive action” to remove illegal or violating content, suspending offending accounts, and working with authorities and law enforcement in relevant countries, where necessary.

“We remain committed to making X a safe platform for everyone and continue to have zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content,” X said in the statement.

“We take action to remove high-priority violative content, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and non-consensual nudity, taking appropriate action against accounts that violate our X Rules. We also report accounts seeking Child Sexual Exploitation materials to law enforcement authorities as necessary.”

California Investigation

The move came after several authorities from around the world launched investigations into or lawsuits against Elon Musk’s social media platform.

On Jan. 14, California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on X that he was calling on the state’s attorney general “to immediately investigate the company and hold xAI accountable.”

He said the social media platform had become a “breeding ground” for spreading “nonconsensual sexually explicit AI deepfakes.”

Californian Attorney General Rob Bonta wrote on X the same day that the chatbot was being used to produce “deepfake nonconsensual intimate images used to harass women across the internet.”

Bonta said the state would demand answers from xAI, Musk’s AI development company, about its plans “to stop the creation & spread of this content.”

The Epoch Times contacted xAI for comment, but the company did not respond beyond an automated reply.

UK, Malaysia Investigations

On Jan. 12, the UK’s communications regulator opened an investigation into X, alleging that it broke British law by failing to comply with duties to protect people from illegal content in the UK.

Before X’s Safety unit made the public announcement, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told lawmakers in the House of Commons on Jan. 14 that he had been informed that morning that X “is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law.”

“If so, that is welcome, but we are not going to back down. X must act. We will take the necessary measures. We will strengthen existing laws and prepare for legislation if it needs to go further, and Ofcom will continue its independent investigation,” Starmer said.

(Left) Elon Musk at the Vivatech technology startups and innovation fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, on June 16, 2023. (Right) The X logo, pictured on a screen in Paris on July 24, 2023. Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty Images

Malaysia announced on Jan. 13 that it was taking legal action against X and xAI for the companies’ failure to ensure user safety.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said it had identified misuse of Grok “to generate and disseminate harmful content,” including sexually explicit and nonconsensual manipulated images. The commission said Musk’s companies can be held liable under Malaysian law even though the content was generated by users.

Malaysia’s announcement came days after the country announced it would block access to Grok, with Indonesia likewise suspending access to the content generator.