X may be held responsible for Grok generated content: Govt source
New Delhi, Mar 20 (PTI): Social media platform X may be held responsible for content generated by its artificial intelligence tool Grok, and a legal view in this regard will be firmed up soon, a government source said.
Recently, users on X have been asking various questions about Indian politicians from Grok and the AI platform was coming up with responses which were unpalatable.
Grok is an AI tool on social media platform X.
"Prima facie, it seems Yes. It is my personal view, but the same has to be legally scrutinised," the government source said when asked if X can be held responsible for Grok-generated content.
The source said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is in discussion with the social media platform to understand and assess its working.
Last year, the government had taken immediate action and issued guidelines on AI after Google's Gemini made some unpleasant remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in response to queries.
The guidelines to check social media content are in place, and the companies need to adhere to them, the source added.
Talking about X case against the government challenging section 79 (3) of the IT Act, the source said that the courts will have final words on the contention of social media platforms on content blocking.
Elon Musk-owned X has filed a lawsuit in the Karnataka High Court against the Government of India, contending that content regulations are unlawful and arbitrary.
It has also raised concerns over the Centre's interpretation of the Information Technology (IT) Act, particularly its use of Section 79(3)(b), which 'X' argues violates Supreme Court rulings and undermines free expression online.
"Section 79(3)(b) comes into play if an intermediary does not remove objectionable content as per the order authorised government bodies. By doing so, if a social media platform is ready to take liability or ownership of user-generated content, then it can be prosecuted, and the social media platform will always have the option to approach court against the prosecution. Therefore, it is finally courts that will have the final say in the contention," the source noted.
The lawsuit alleged that the government is using the section to create a parallel content-blocking mechanism, bypassing the structured legal process outlined in Section 69A.
X claimed this approach contradicts the Supreme Court's 2015 ruling in the Shreya Singhal case, which established that content can only be blocked through a proper judicial process or the legally defined route under Section 69A.
If a platform fails to comply within 36 hours, it risks losing its safe harbour protection under Section 79(1) and could be held accountable under various laws, including the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Section 79 (1) of the IT Act provides protection to social media platforms from liability for objectionable content posted by their users. The sub-section 2 of section 79 describes the condition for an intermediary, and sub-section 3 of section 79 of the IT Act prescribes the conditions when the protection granted to a social media platform will not apply.
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People must do politics; elected representatives must work, says Actor Prakash Raj
Kalaburagi: Actor and activist Prakash Raj has said that in a democracy, politics must be done by the people, while elected representatives are meant to work and serve after winning elections.
Speaking at the launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi on Saturday, Prakash Raj said that once representatives are elected, their only responsibility is service. “This is our tax, our country. Service is the only job of people’s representatives. They come to seek votes every five years; the people do not,” he said.
Releasing the newspaper’s special issue at the event, he asserted that the distinction between people and politicians must never be reversed. “This is our country. Citizens must continuously engage in politics, and politicians must continuously work. Never change this order. Politics belongs to the people,” he said.
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Quoting writer P. Lankesh, Prakash Raj said newspapers, media, artists, and citizens must act as a permanent opposition. “They must be the voice of the people without seeking the patronage of the ruling party. Only then can they work fearlessly,” he said. He stressed the need to clearly tell today’s society who must engage in politics.
Referring to regional imbalance, he said Karnataka has become Bengaluru-centric and confined largely to southern Karnataka. With Vartha Bharati entering the Kalyana Karnataka region, he said the newspaper must contribute to the region’s development by consistently reporting its issues with a strong voice.
Prakash Raj also spoke about the role of independent media, saying that anyone can be swept away in a flood, including dead fish, but to swim against the current requires life. “Independent media have that life. Ravish Kumar, The Wire, and Vartha Bharati have the courage to swim against the flood,” he said.
He warned that fear strengthens authoritarianism. “If we are not afraid, they will be afraid,” he said, alleging that institutions such as the police, Election Commission, courts, and media are being pressured, silenced, and manipulated for political benefit. Expressing concern over the denial of bail to Umar Khalid, he said there is a visible lack of conscience in institutions meant to deliver justice to the people.
Recalling the early years after Independence, Prakash Raj said there was once fear of the police but also faith in the judiciary. “There was confidence that injustice would be addressed in court. Today, that faith no longer exists,” he said. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party are responsible for the present situation.
Using a metaphor, he said India is like a pond disturbed by a demon within it. “A lotus blooms on the surface, that is the BJP. We are fighting the lotus, but the real fight should be against the RSS, the root power beneath,” he said.
Drawing parallels with past global authoritarian regimes, he said leaders like Hitler and Mussolini headed political parties and could be defeated electorally. “The RSS is not a political party. Defeating the BJP alone is not enough. The roots must be uprooted,” he said, adding that despite changes in appearance, the ideological growth remains unchanged.
Prakash Raj also raised concerns over Hindi imposition, delimitation, and what he described as political oppression of southern states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh in the name of elections. He said people must recognise who is responsible for this oppression and understand the role of newspapers like Vartha Bharati in identifying and exposing it.
The event also marked the formal launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi.
