India’s IT ministry issues notice to X over misuse of AI-generated obscene content
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has asked X to remove obscene material linked to the misuse of its AI service Grok and to comply with India’s IT Act and intermediary rules.
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a formal notice to the social media platform X, seeking the removal of obscene content and raising concerns over the misuse of its artificial intelligence service, Grok. The notice was addressed to the Chief Compliance Officer of X’s India operations.
According to the ministry, users have been misusing Grok AI to create fake accounts that host, generate, publish, or share obscene images and videos of women in a derogatory or vulgar manner. MeitY stated that such activity violates the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, as well as the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
In its communication, the ministry stressed that compliance with the IT Act and the IT Rules is mandatory and not optional for platforms operating in India. It called on X to take immediate steps to prevent the hosting, generation, and circulation of obscene, nude, indecent, and sexually explicit content produced through the misuse of AI-based services.
MeitY has requested an Action Taken Report from the platform, detailing the measures implemented to address the issue and ensure compliance. The ministry also warned that failure to comply with the legal requirements could lead to strict legal consequences for the platform.
