U.S. Senators Urge Apple and Google to Remove X and Grok

Three Democratic U.S. senators are pressing Apple and Google to take X and its built-in AI chatbot, Grok, off their app stores. The lawmakers argue that the platform has failed to stop the spread of nonconsensual sexual images involving women and minors.

In a letter released on Friday, Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, and Edward Markey of Massachusetts said both companies should remove the apps until X addresses what they described as serious policy violations.

Concerns Over AI-Generated Explicit Content

The move follows growing backlash after Grok reportedly generated large volumes of AI-created images depicting women and children in sexualized or degrading situations, including revealing clothing and violent or exploitative poses.

Officials worldwide have criticized X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, for allowing such content to circulate on the platform.

App Store Rules Cited by Lawmakers

In their letter, the senators pointed out that Google’s policies prohibit apps from hosting or distributing content that enables child exploitation or abuse. Apple’s guidelines, they noted, ban sexual or pornographic material altogether.

The senators emphasized that both Apple and Google have previously acted quickly to remove apps that violated these standards.

Accusations of Inaction by Tech Giants

The lawmakers warned that ignoring X’s conduct would undermine Apple’s and Google’s content moderation commitments.
“Turning a blind eye to X’s egregious behavior would make a mockery of your moderation practices,” the letter stated.

Neither Apple nor Google immediately responded to requests for comment.

X and Musk Respond to Criticism

X referred inquiries to a January 2 statement claiming it takes action against illegal material, including child sexual abuse content. Meanwhile, X’s parent company, xAI, declined to address specific questions about Grok’s behavior, instead issuing a general dismissal of what it called “legacy media lies.”

Elon Musk has publicly reacted with humor emojis to AI-altered images of public figures and has suggested that responsibility lies with users who generate unlawful content using Grok.

International Pressure Mounts

In the United Kingdom, Technology Minister Liz Kendall said she expects the media regulator Ofcom to act swiftly, noting that the agency has authority to impose large fines or even block services that fail to comply with safety rules.

“X needs to get a grip and get this material down,” she said.

Limited Restrictions Introduced on Grok

As criticism intensified, xAI appeared to introduce some limits on Grok’s image-generation features. Requests to create sexualized images were met with messages stating that certain editing functions were now restricted to paying subscribers.

However, users could still generate sexualized images through the Grok tab and post them on X. The standalone Grok app also continued allowing image creation without a subscription.

Lawmakers Say Changes Are Insufficient

Reuters was unable to confirm whether these changes significantly reduced the production of nonconsensual images. Senator Wyden said the adjustments did little to ease his concerns.

“All X’s changes do is make some users pay to produce horrific images, while Musk profits from the abuse of children,” Wyden said in an email.