Elon Musk’s X has implemented sweeping restrictions on its Grok AI tool after widespread criticism over its potential for creating sexualised images of real people.
The company confirmed that in jurisdictions where it is illegal, Grok will no longer be able to edit photos of individuals to depict them in revealing clothing.
“We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing,” an announcement on X says.
The change follows global outrage over users generating sexualised AI deepfakes – some involving women and children – and posting them across the platform.
What have the responses been to restrictions of X’s Grok?
The UK’s independent online safety watchdog, Ofcom, opened a formal investigation into X under the UK’s Online Safety Act to determine whether it has complied with its duties to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal under UK law.
“We are aware of serious concerns raised about a feature on Grok on X that produces undressed images of people and sexualised images of children,” Ofcom initially said.
“We have made urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK.
“Based on their response, we will undertake a swift assessment to determine whether there are potential compliance issues that warrant investigation.”
In an update following the latest development, an Ofcom spokesperson added: “X has said it’s implemented measures to prevent the Grok account from being used to create intimate images of people. This is a welcome development.
“However, our formal investigation remains ongoing. We are working round the clock to progress this and get answers into what went wrong and what’s being done to fix it.”
The move was welcomed as a major policy concession, with the government claiming “vindication” after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had earlier called X’s inaction “horrific”, “disgusting” and “shameful.”
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall characterised the platform’s delay in acting as “a further insult to victims, effectively monetising this horrific crime”.
It’s not just the UK – where this content is illegal – that is speaking out on Grok’s turning point.
In the US, California’s attorney general has launched an investigation into the spread of sexually explicit AI deepfakes – including material of minors – generated by Grok.
In an update via its Safety account, X says: “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 company emphasises that only paying subscribers retain access to Grok’s image-editing tools – an additional “layer of protection” designed to ensure accountability among those misusing the AI. However, all users – regardless of their subscriber status – are prevented from allowing Grok to edit images of real people in revealing clothing.
Elon Musk has insisted that Grok complies with the laws of each country.
Posting on the platform, he says: “Obviously, Grok does not spontaneously generate images, it does so only according to user requests.
“When asked to generate images, it will refuse to produce anything illegal, as the operating principle for Grok is to obey the laws of any given country or state.
“There may be times when adversarial hacking of Grok prompts does something unexpected. If that happens, we fix the bug immediately.”
The role of AI ethics and platform accountability
Despite the response, global regulators and advocacy groups argue that X’s reactive measures highlight a broader governance problem across Gen AI platforms.
Thousands of sexualised AI images have circulated on X in recent weeks alone, prompting calls from legislators and women’s groups for Apple and Google to ban Grok from their app stores.
Three Democratic senators in the US have urged both companies to remove X and its built-in AI tool Grok from their app stores, citing the proliferation of nonconsensual content.
Musk’s dual role leading both X and xAI –the company that builds Grok – has further intensified scrutiny of potential conflicts between innovation and responsible moderation.
X’s reversal marks a crucial moment in the evolution of AI platform governance.
Generative media tools are rapidly coming to blows with emerging legal frameworks, forcing tech companies to adopt enforceable safeguards against misuse.
By introducing geoblocking and restricting tool access, X has taken a step toward rebuilding trust – but experts warn that strong policy enforcement and ongoing transparency will determine whether such measures hold.
