Elon Musk's X is no stranger to controversy, but the platform formerly known as Twitter is facing a massive backlash (alongside potential fines and regulatory action) after users began asking Grok to generate sexualized images of women. In response, the AI chatbot will now limit the use of image generation and editing abilities for the vast majority of users.
Over the past couple of weeks, the built-in AI tool was being used to edit images of women, removing their clothes and putting them in sexualized positions. Now, users are finding that when they try to use the tool, they're met with the message: “image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers”.
There has been no direct comment from Elon Musk or his team at xAI on the issue yet, so it is unclear if the feature will be removed entirely or this is a temporary measure. By making it only available to paying subscribers, xAI does heavily limit usage of the tool and de-anonymize it (paying users input credit card information linked to their identity) but it's unlikely to quell the controversy.
Regulatory bodies are involved
Our statement on Grok ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/UsXh96zjQYJanuary 5, 2026
This all began last week when dozens of users began documenting examples and personal experiences of Grok transforming their images into something sexualized.
It then didn’t take long for this to reach legal and regulatory bodies. Since the controversy first arose, there have been calls from the European Commission for X to keep Grok documents longer to try and make the platform more accountable from a compliance standpoint. Meanwhile, France has branded the practice illegal, while Ireland, India and a number of international charities have also condemned it.
However, the biggest concern so far has seemingly come from the U.K. Ofcom, the U.K.’s regulator for communication services, confirmed it had "made urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK. Based on their response, we will undertake a swift assessment to determine whether there are potential compliance issues that warrant investigation".
Under the U.K.’s Online Safety Act, Ofcom has the power to, in serious cases, block a website or app in the U.K., as well as impose fines of up to 10% of a company’s global turnover. While blocking the site seems unlikely, Musk could certainly see a heavy fine implemented if things don't change.
According to Copyleaks, an AI-manipulated media detection and governance platform monitoring Grok’s feed, hundreds, possibly thousands, of examples of these sexualized deepfakes now exist on the Grok website.
How has Elon and Grok responded?
While Elon Musk hasn’t directly addressed the controversies, he did respond to another user's X post, stating: “Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.”
This was then reposted by the Safety account on X, with an additional message stating “We take action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material, by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary".
We take action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary.Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the… https://t.co/93kiIBTCYOJanuary 4, 2026
The laws and rules are still growing in this area, and there can be confusion as to where responsibility lies. While the user who created the content would be criminally responsible, both X and Grok are linked in the process.
This will mean that, as government and regulatory bodies crack down, Musk and his team will need to prove that they are cooperating and willing to help solve this issue going forward.
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