Centre gives X 48-hour extension to respond on alleged misuse of Grok for obscene content
PTC Web Desk: The Centre has given social media platform X additional time to explain the steps it has taken to curb the alleged misuse of its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, for generating obscene content. Officials said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has extended the deadline by 48 hours, allowing the company to submit its response by January 7 evening.
X had earlier been served a notice on January 2 after the government raised concerns over Grok being used to produce sexually explicit material, particularly content targeting women. The notice was addressed to the company’s India Chief Compliance Officer, Vinay Prakash.
According to officials, X requested more time citing limited staff availability during the holiday period, referring to the Christmas and New Year public holidays. The ministry agreed to the extension but maintained that compliance with Indian laws remains mandatory.
In its communication, MeitY highlighted that users were allegedly exploiting Grok to create and circulate explicit images and videos of women, often through anonymous or fake profiles. The ministry also pointed out that even genuine photos and videos shared by women were being altered using AI-generated prompts, leading to online abuse and harassment.
The government has sought a detailed Action Taken Report from X, outlining the technical controls introduced to prevent misuse of Grok, action taken against violators, the involvement of the compliance officer, and mechanisms for reporting offences to law enforcement agencies.
MeitY warned that failure to address these concerns could result in the platform losing its legal safeguards under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, along with potential legal action against the company and its responsible executives.
The issue came into sharper focus after Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, flagging the risks posed by AI-generated sexualised content. Vaishnaw has since stressed that social media platforms must be accountable for harmful content circulating on their services. X has not yet issued an official response.
- With inputs from agencies
