Grok’s ‘Digital Undressing’ Controversy: X Responds Following India’s Action

January 11, 2026

New Delhi: X (formerly Twitter)’s AI chatbot Grok has been editing women’s photos in a pornographic manner, sparking outrage worldwide. Many countries, including India, have strongly objected. In recent weeks, it emerged that Grok, at the request of users, was altering women’s photos to make them appear nearly naked.

Requests to ‘Remove’ Clothes from Women’s Photos

Over the past few weeks, a disturbing trend has emerged on X, where users are asking Grok to remove clothing from women’s photos or alter them in highly suggestive ways. Even more concerning is that Grok is accepting such requests. Reuters’ investigation found that Grok fully complied with such requests in at least 21 cases.

Obscene and offensive demands

According to the report, requests such as “remove her school uniform” and “show her in a transparent mini-bikini” were reported. In one case, Grok replaced a woman’s clothing with a skin-colored two-piece in her photo. However, when the user subsequently requested more offensive changes, Grok did not respond.

According to Reuters, celebrities, politicians, minor children, and even men have been victims of such digital manipulation in several cases.

Several countries, including India, demand strict action

India was among the countries that strongly protested Grok’s behavior. Earlier this month, the Indian government wrote to X Corp. demanding action within 72 hours.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in a letter to X’s India head, stated that Grok was being misused to create and share objectionable and derogatory images of women. The ministry warned that if regulations are not followed, X’s legal protections under the IT Act could be revoked.

France, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brazil also raised objections

India wasn’t alone. French ministers complained to regulators and prosecutors against X. Indonesia suspended Grok in the country, while Malaysia and a Brazilian MP also demanded action.

Elon Musk’s light-hearted approach to the controversy

While many countries were taking the issue seriously, Elon Musk took the controversy lightly. He even made a humorous request to Grok regarding a viral photo, which sparked a sharp reaction on social media.

X Limits Image Generation to Paid Users

Following the growing controversy, X limited Grok’s image generation and editing feature to paid subscribers only. Now, Grok responds to such requests by stating that this feature is only available to paid users.

However, this move also drew criticism. The British Prime Minister’s Office and European Union officials stated that making it a premium service instead of addressing the problem was an insult to victims.

X Takes Major Step After India’s Action

Following a letter from the Indian government and a demand for an Action Taken Report, X finally took concrete action. According to sources, X blocked over 3,500 objectionable content and deleted over 600 accounts.

A source stated that such objectionable imagery will no longer be allowed on X and that the company has acknowledged its mistake.

The government was dissatisfied with X’s initial response

However, in an earlier report, a government official stated that X’s initial response was unsatisfactory because it did not directly address the issues raised by the ministry.