Governments grapple with the flood of non-consensual nudity on X

Over the past two weeks, X has been inundated with AI-manipulated nude photos, generated by chatbot Grok AI. An alarming range of women have been affected by non-consensual nudity, including high-profile models and actresses, as well as… News numbers, Victims of crimeAnd even World leaders.

Research paper dated December 31 from Copyleaks It is estimated that approximately one photo is posted every minute, but subsequent tests found Much more. A sample collected from January 5 to 6 was found 6700 per hour 24 hours a day.

But while public figures from around the world have criticized the option to launch the model without safeguards, there are few clear mechanisms for regulators hoping to rein in Elon Musk’s new image manipulation system. The result has become a painful lesson in the limits of technology regulation — and a forward-looking challenge for regulators hoping to make a mark.

Unsurprisingly, the most aggressive action came from the European Commission, which made its decision on Thursday Order xAI to retain all documents Related to its Grok chatbot. The move does not necessarily mean the committee has opened a new investigation, but it is a common prelude to such action. It’s particularly ominous Recent reports from CNN This suggests that Elon Musk may have personally intervened to prevent safeguards being placed on the images your puppy could create.

It’s unclear whether X has made any technical changes to Grok’s model, though the public media tab for Grok’s “Anyone who uses Grok or causes them to create illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content,” X Safety account Posted on January 3Echoing a previous tweet by Elon Musk.

Meanwhile, regulatory bodies around the world have issued stern warnings. Ofcom in the United Kingdom He issued a statement on MondaySaying it has been in contact with xAI and “will conduct a rapid assessment to determine if there are potential compliance issues that warrant investigation.” in Radio interview on ThursdayBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer described this phenomenon as “disgraceful” and “disgusting”, saying that “Ofcom has our full support to take action in relation to this matter.”

in Posted on LinkedInAustralia’s Cyber ​​Safety Commissioner, Julie Inman-Grant, said her office had received a doubling in complaints related to Grok since late 2025. But Inman-Grant stopped short of taking action against xAI, saying only: “We will use the range of regulatory tools at our disposal to investigate and take appropriate action.”

By far the biggest market threatening action is India, where Groke was the subject of a formal complaint from an MP. In January, Indian telecom regulator MeitY ordered Company X to address the issue and submit an “action taken” report within 72 hours – a deadline that was later extended by 48 hours. While the report was It was submitted to the regulatory body on January 7It is unclear whether MeitY will be satisfied with the response. If not, X could lose its safe haven status in India, a potentially serious restriction on its ability to operate within the country.