Three Democratic U.S. senators have called on Apple and Google to remove X and its AI chatbot Grok from app stores over sexual images.
Senators Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Lujan, and Edward Markey sent a letter Friday urging the tech giants to act. They said X has allowed AI-generated nonconsensual sexual images of women and minors to circulate. The senators warned that Google and Apple should remove the apps until X addresses these violations.
X, owned by Elon Musk, has faced backlash after Grok started producing explicit content. The AI chatbot generated sexualized images of women and children in revealing clothing and degrading poses. According to the senators, these violations contradict Google and Apple’s terms of service, which prohibit content that exploits or abuses children and sexual or pornographic material.
The senators emphasized that tech companies have acted swiftly in the past against apps that violate rules. “Turning a blind eye to X’s egregious behavior would make a mockery of your moderation practices,” the letter stated.
X responded by citing its January 2 post that the platform takes action against illegal content, including child sexual abuse material. Musk has used social media to mock concerns, posting emojis and statements blaming users for illegal content.
Recently, X imposed partial restrictions on Grok. Public requests to generate sexualized images now require a subscription. However, the Grok app continues to allow AI-generated sexual content for free in some cases, and users can still post these images to X.
Senator Wyden criticized the limited changes, stating, “All X’s changes do is make some of its users pay for the privilege of producing horrific images on the X app, while Musk profits from the abuse of children.”
The senators’ intervention highlights growing concern over platforms facilitating AI-generated nonconsensual content. Pressure is mounting for Apple and Google to remove X and Grok over sexual images until strict safeguards are implemented.
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