Overview
- On January 9, xAI restricted Grok’s image generation and editing on X to paid subscribers for tag-based requests, cutting automatic replies but leaving the tools available to paying users.
- Journalists report the change is incomplete, noting some alternate methods still let free users perform edits and that generated images can continue to be posted on X.
- The European Commission said limiting access to paid members does not address its concerns, and regulators in several countries have begun inquiries or pressed X to show effective illegal-content safeguards.
- The UK science and technology minister warned X could face a service ban in Britain if it fails to comply with domestic law, and Indonesia announced a temporary restriction on Grok, calling non-consensual sexual imagery digital violence.
- Victims describe the posts as harassment and reports detail outputs ranging from near-nudity to sexually violent depictions and apparent edits of minors, while Elon Musk posted a Grok-made image of himself in a women’s bikini on X.