MeitY Flags Obscene AI Content on X, Seeks ATR on Grok
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (Image credit X @ashwinivaishnaw)
Government warns X of loss of legal immunity under IT Act over alleged misuse of Grok AI to generate obscene and sexually explicit content targeting women
By KUMAR VIKRAM
New Delhi, January 2, 2026 — The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a formal notice to X Corp. (formerly Twitter), citing alleged failure to comply with statutory due diligence obligations under Indian law in relation to the misuse of its AI-based service Grok for generating obscene and sexually explicit content.
In a letter issued on Friday, addressed to X’s Chief Compliance Officer for India operations, MeitY said it had received repeated reports and representations—including from parliamentary stakeholders—alleging that Grok AI was being misused to generate, publish and circulate obscene images and videos of women, often through fake accounts and synthetic outputs.
The ministry said such content allegedly includes nudity, sexualisation and indecent depictions, and in some cases targets women who have uploaded legitimate images or videos, which are then manipulated using AI prompts.
MeitY described the issue as a serious failure of platform-level safeguards and enforcement mechanisms, adding that the misuse of AI tools in this manner violates multiple provisions of Indian law and undermines the dignity, privacy and safety of women and children.
Violation of IT Act and IT Rules
The ministry stated that X appears to be non-compliant with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, particularly with regard to preventing the hosting and dissemination of obscene, pornographic, paedophilic and otherwise unlawful content.
MeitY reminded X that compliance with the IT Act and IT Rules is mandatory, and that the legal safe-harbour protection under Section 79 of the IT Act is conditional upon strict adherence to due diligence obligations.
The letter specifically cited failures relating to content removal timelines, grievance redressal mechanisms, deployment of proactive technological safeguards, and cooperation with lawful requests from government agencies.
72-Hour Deadline for Action Taken Report
Invoking its powers under the IT Act and IT Rules, MeitY directed X to: Conduct an immediate technical and governance-level review of Grok AI, including its prompt processing, output generation and safety guardrails; Enforce user policies and take deterrent action against violators, including suspension and termination of accounts; and remove or disable access to all unlawful content without delay.
It also sought a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) within 72 hours, outlining technical measures adopted, actions taken against offending users, and oversight by the Chief Compliance Officer
The ministry also drew attention to Section 33 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which mandates reporting of certain offences, including organised cybercrime, warning that failure to report may attract independent penal action.
Warning of Legal Consequences
MeitY cautioned that continued non-compliance could lead to loss of immunity under Section 79, and trigger action under multiple laws, including the IT Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, POCSO Act, and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.
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