Democratic US Senators Demand Apple, Google Remove X and Grok Over Nonconsensual Images

Three Democratic U.S. senators have called on Apple and Google to remove the social media platform X, along with its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, from their respective app stores. The senators, Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Lujan, and Edward Markey, raised concerns over the spread of AI-generated nonconsensual sexual images involving women and minors. These images, which depict individuals in revealing or degrading poses, have been circulating on the platform since Grok’s recent release.

In their letter to the tech giants, the senators pointed out that both Google and Apple’s terms of service prohibit the creation, distribution, or hosting of explicit content that exploits or abuses children, as well as material that is sexual or pornographic in nature. They argued that X’s failure to address these violations warrants the removal of the platform from both app stores until corrective measures are taken.

X, which is owned by Elon Musk's xAI, has been under intense scrutiny from officials worldwide. The platform's handling of explicit content has drawn significant criticism, particularly after Grok began generating nonconsensual images of women and children in sexualized and violent poses. Musk, who has faced backlash, responded to the controversy with deflective comments and emojis, blaming users for generating unlawful content using Grok.

As pressure mounts, X has started implementing restrictions on Grok’s ability to create explicit content for paying users, though sexualized images can still be generated. The controversy has sparked further discussions, with British tech officials signaling swift action to regulate X if the platform does not comply with legal requirements.