India orders X's Grok AI to comply after 'obscene' content dispute

India has instructed Elon Musk's X to implement immediate technical and procedural changes to its AI chatbot Grok. This follows reports from users and lawmakers about the generation of "obscene" content, including AI-altered images of women created with the tool.

On Friday, India's IT ministry issued the directive, ordering X to take corrective action on Grok. This includes restricting the generation of content involving "nudity, sexualization, sexually explicit, or otherwise unlawful" material. The ministry also gave the platform 72 hours to submit a report detailing the steps taken to prevent the hosting or spread of content deemed "obscene, pornographic, vulgar, indecent, sexually explicit, pedophilic, or otherwise illegal."

The order, reviewed by TechCrunch, warned that non-compliance could lead to the loss of X's "safe harbor" protections. This legal shield typically grants immunity from liability for user-generated content under Indian law.

India's action comes after users shared examples of Grok being prompted to alter images of people—primarily women—to make them appear to be wearing bikinis. This prompted a formal complaint from Indian parliamentarian Priyanka Chaturvedi. Separately, recent reports highlighted instances where the AI chatbot generated sexualized images involving minors. X acknowledged earlier on Friday that these lapses were due to failed safeguards, and the images were subsequently removed.

However, TechCrunch found that AI-altered images making women appear to be wearing bikinis, generated by Grok, remained accessible on X at the time of publication.

This latest directive follows a broader advisory issued by the Indian IT ministry on Monday to social media platforms. The advisory, also reviewed by TechCrunch, reminded companies that compliance with laws against obscene and sexually explicit content is a prerequisite for retaining legal immunity for user posts. It urged platforms to strengthen internal safeguards, warning that failure could lead to legal action under India's IT and criminal laws.

"It is reiterated that non-compliance with the above requirements shall be viewed seriously and may result in strict legal consequences against your platform, its responsible officers, and the users on the platform who violate the law, without any further notice," the order stated.

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The Indian government stated that failure to comply could result in legal action against X under the country's IT Act and criminal laws.

As one of the world's largest digital markets, India has become a key test case for how governments regulate AI-generated content. Stricter enforcement in the country could set a precedent with global implications for tech companies operating across multiple jurisdictions.

This order comes as X continues to legally challenge certain aspects of India's content moderation rules, arguing that government takedown powers risk overreach. The platform has complied with most blocking orders while contesting others. Meanwhile, Grok is increasingly used by X users for real-time fact-checking and commentary on news, making its outputs more visible—and politically sensitive—than standalone AI tools.

X and xAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the Indian government's order.