Governments grapple with the flood of non-consensual nudity on X

Over the past two weeks, X has been inundated with AI-manipulated nude images created by the Grok AI chatbot. An alarming number of women have been affected by non-consensual nudes, including prominent models and actresses, as well news figures, victims of crimeand even world leaders.

A December 31 research paper from Copyleaks It was estimated that about one image was posted every minute, but later tests found much more. A sample collected between January 5 and 6 was found 6,700 per hour over a 24 hour period.

But while public figures around the world have decried the choice to release the model without safeguards, there are few clear mechanisms for regulators looking to curb Elon Musk’s new image manipulation system. The result has become a painful lesson about the limits of technology regulation – and a forward-looking challenge for regulators looking to make a mark.

Unsurprisingly, the most aggressive action on Thursday came from the European Commission instructed xAI to keep all documents related to its Grok chatbot. This step does not necessarily mean the committee has opened a new investigation, but it is a common precursor to such action. It is a particularly ominous fact recent reporting from CNN that suggests Elon Musk may have personally intervened to prevent safeguards from being placed on the images that could be generated by Grok.

It is unclear whether X has made any technical changes to the Grok model, although the public media tab for Grok’s X account has been removed. In a statement, the company specifically denounced the use of AI tools to produce sexual images of children. “Anyone who uses or encourages Grok to create illegal content will face the same consequences as if they upload illegal content,” the X Safety account said posted on January 3following an earlier tweet from Elon Musk.

Meanwhile, regulators around the world have issued stern warnings. The British Ofcom issued a statement on Mondaysays it has been in contact with xAI and will “conduct a rapid assessment to determine if there are any potential compliance issues that warrant investigation.” In A radio interview on ThursdayBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the phenomenon “disgraceful” and “disgusting” and said: “Ofcom has our full support in taking action against this.”

In a message on LinkedInAustralian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant said her office had received a doubling of complaints related to Grok since the end of 2025. But Inman-Grant took no action against xAI, saying only: “We will use the range of regulatory tools at our disposal to investigate and take appropriate action.”

By far the biggest market threatened with action is India, where Grok was the subject of a formal complaint from a member of parliament. In January, India’s communications regulator ordered MeitY While there was a report submitted to the regulator on January 7it is unclear whether MeitY will be satisfied with the answer. If not, X could lose its safe haven status in India, potentially severely limiting its ability to operate in the country.