Centre seeks detailed audit of X’s Grok chatbot over alleged obscene images
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has asked social media platform X to carry out an extensive technical and governance review of its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, following concerns that the tool is being misused to generate and circulate obscene and derogatory images of women.
In a letter issued on Friday to X’s Chief Compliance Officer in India, the Ministry said it had come across instances where users allegedly exploited Grok through fake accounts to create or share altered images and videos of women in a vulgar manner. The government directed the platform to examine the functioning of the chatbot and the safeguards governing its use, and to take immediate corrective steps, as reported by The Hindu.
The issue was raised earlier in the day by Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, who wrote to Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagging reports that the chatbot had responded to prompts seeking to undress or modify women’s photographs. Following this, the Ministry moved to formally seek an explanation and action from the platform.
The government's statement made it clear that compliance with the Information Technology Act and IT Rules, 2021, is required. It further stated that the legal protection provided to facilitators under Section 79 of the IT Act is only applicable if due diligence responsibilities are srictly followed. It further warned that the creation or distribution of such content could result in legal action under other applicable laws.
Ensuring that evidence is preserved, X has been instructed to remove or disable access to any content already generated or disseminated in violation of the law, without delay. The platform has been asked to submit an Action Taken Report by January 5, 2026, with details of the steps it has taken in response to the directions.
The Ministry warned that failure to comply would be viewed seriously, leading to legal action against the platform, its responsible officials and users involved in violations, under the IT Act, IT Rules, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and other relevant statutes.
Grok functions as a separate artificial intelligence entity under X’s holding structure but operates actively on the platform, interacting automatically with users. Elon Musk, who owns Grok, has previously described the chatbot as less restricted in its responses compared to other AI systems.
Noting that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology has recommended stricter laws to deal with obscene content online, Vaishnaw had earlier said, social media companies must take responsibility for the content circulating on their platforms.
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No 'VIP' involved in Ankita Bhandari murder case: Haridwar SP
Dehradun (PTI): Amid demands for a CBI probe into the Ankita Bhandari murder case, Haridwar SP (Rural) Shekhar Suyal on Saturday said that no "VIP" was found involved during the investigation.
Suyal told reporters here that the person whose name came up in the chats and during questioning, was a friend of Ankita, Dharmendra Kumar alias Pradhan, a resident of Noida. He was not a VIP, the officer said.
"During the investigation, police questioning revealed that he had come to the area for some work two days before Ankita's murder and had stopped at the Vanantra Resort for a short time to have a meal," he said.
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Suyal said that this was confirmed by the resort's records and questioning of the staff.
Urmila Sanawar, who claims to be the wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, recently released videos and audio recordings of her alleged conversations with Rathore, alleging that the 'VIP' in the Ankita Bhandari murder case is a person named 'Gattu'.
In another video, she identified Gattu as a top BJP leader in Uttarakhand.
Rathore, who was expelled from the BJP, said that his voice was generated using AI, and the audios have been widely shared with the intention of tarnishing his political image.
The Uttarakhand government on Friday said it was ready for any investigation into the Ankita Bhandari murder case "if credible evidence is presented".
Opposition leaders have demanded a CBI probe into the new allegations and the murder case, in which three people were sentenced to life imprisonment following an SIT investigation.
Ankita, who worked as a receptionist at a resort in Pauri district, was allegedly murdered on September 18, 2022. The state government had constituted an SIT to investigate the case.
The court sentenced Pulkit Arya, the owner of the resort and son of a BJP leader, and two others to life imprisonment in the case.
