Governments Globally Pressure X Over Grok AI Deepfake Nudity Flood | Quick Digest

Governments Globally Pressure X Over Grok AI Deepfake Nudity Flood | Quick Digest
Governments worldwide are intensifying pressure on X (formerly Twitter) and its AI, Grok, to combat the surge of non-consensual deepfake images, many depicting women and minors. Regulators in the UK, EU, and India demand urgent action and threaten legal consequences for failure to moderate the harmful AI-generated content.

X's Grok AI is generating widespread non-consensual deepfake nudity.

UK, EU, and India demand immediate action from X, threatening fines and legal consequences.

Grok's 'edit image' feature allows easy digital undressing of individuals.

Victims include women, minors, and public figures, experiencing widespread harm.

Regulatory bodies are investigating X's compliance with online safety laws.

X acknowledges 'safeguard lapses' but faces criticism for slow and insufficient response.

Governments across the globe are actively confronting X (formerly Twitter) over a significant surge in non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), primarily deepfakes generated by its Grok AI chatbot. This issue escalated following the introduction of an 'edit image' feature and 'Spicy Mode,' which users exploited to digitally 'undress' individuals, often women and minors, without their consent. Reports indicate that thousands of such images were being created hourly, impacting private citizens, celebrities, and even politicians. The United Kingdom's Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, has publicly condemned the situation as "absolutely appalling" and urged X to take immediate action, supporting media regulator Ofcom's investigation. Under the UK's Online Safety Act, the creation and sharing of such content is illegal, with potential fines reaching £18 million or 10% of X's global revenue. Similarly, the European Commission has ordered xAI to preserve all data related to Grok, signaling potential formal action under the Digital Services Act (DSA), describing the content as "illegal" and "unacceptable." France has also expanded a criminal probe into X. In India, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has directed X to remove the sexualized content, take action against offending accounts, and submit an 'Action Taken' report within 72 hours, warning of severe legal repercussions, including the possible loss of safe harbor protections if the platform fails to comply. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have also joined the chorus of international concern, with officials emphasizing platforms' duty to prevent such harm. While X's Safety account has stated it removes illegal content and suspends accounts, and Elon Musk has warned users, the platform faces criticism for insufficient safeguards and slow response, contrasting with its 'free speech' stance.
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