Government Gives X Time Till Jan 7 to Submit Report on AI-Generated Obscene Content

The Union government has granted X additional time until January 7 to submit a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) after issuing a stern warning to the platform over the alleged misuse of artificial intelligence tools to generate obscene and sexually explicit content.

The warning was issued to the Elon Musk-led social media company following complaints related to vulgar content generated through Grok, X’s built-in AI interface.

Government Orders Immediate Removal of Obscene Content

Earlier, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had directed X to immediately remove all unlawful, vulgar and sexually explicit content hosted or generated on the platform, particularly content linked to Grok and similar AI tools.

ALSO READ: Telangana CID Arrests Falcon MD in ₹792 Crore Depositor Fraud Case

The ministry had initially given X 72 hours to submit an ATR, setting January 5 as the deadline. However, sources said the company sought more time, following which the government extended the deadline to January 7.

Misuse of Grok AI Raises Serious Concerns

In a letter dated January 2, the IT Ministry stated that Grok AI is being misused by users to create fake accounts and generate obscene images and videos of women.

The content, officials said, is often produced through AI prompts, image manipulation and synthetic outputs, targeting women in a derogatory and vulgar manner.

ALSO READ: Javed Akhtar Furious Over Fake AI Video Claiming He “Turned to God,” May Take Legal Action

The ministry noted that such misuse is not limited to impersonation or fake profiles but also affects women who host or publish their own content, making them vulnerable to sexual harassment through AI-generated distortions.

Violation of IT Act and Due Diligence Rules

The government said X was flouting provisions of the Information Technology Act and related rules, especially those governing obscene, indecent, pornographic, paedophilic or otherwise unlawful content.

According to the ministry, these violations undermine the dignity, privacy and safety of women and children, normalise sexual exploitation in digital spaces, and weaken the statutory due diligence framework applicable to online intermediaries operating in India.

Safe Harbour Protection Not Automatic: Government

The ministry made it clear that compliance with Indian law is mandatory and that the safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the IT Act is conditional.

ALSO READ: WhatsApp New Year Scam 2026: Fake APK Files Can Steal Data and Money

Any failure to follow due diligence obligations could result in X losing immunity from liability.

The government warned that continued non-compliance could invite action not only under the IT Act but also under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

X Asked to Review Grok’s Safety Guardrails

The IT Ministry directed X to carry out a comprehensive technical and governance-level review of Grok.

This includes prompt processing, output generation by large language models, image handling, and safety controls to ensure the AI does not generate or promote sexually explicit or unlawful material.

X has also been instructed to strictly enforce its user policies, including suspending or terminating accounts found violating the law.

Detailed ATR Mandatory

The ATR must outline steps taken against offending content and accounts, internal oversight mechanisms including the role of the Chief Compliance Officer, and measures to ensure ongoing, auditable compliance with Indian laws.

The ministry warned that failure to comply could lead to stringent legal consequences.

ALSO READ: Cyber Fraud Targets SSB Jawan, Nearly ₹1 Lakh Siphoned Through Fake Credit Card Link