XRestricts Grok’s Image Tools to Paying Users as EU Orders Data Preservation

Overview

• xAI limited Grok’s image generation and editing on X to verified, paying subscribers after the chatbot was used to produce sexualized deepfakes, including content involving minors.
• Critics and U.K. officials said the restriction is inadequate because the standalone Grok app still allows image creation and the change effectively turns the capability into a premium feature.
• EU authorities issued a legal preservation order requiring X to retain Grok data through the end of 2026, and Ofcom demanded explanations on how sexualized images, including of children, were produced.
• Three U.S. senators urged Apple and Google to remove X and Grok from their app stores until policy violations are addressed, citing rules against sexual and child-exploitation content.
• xAI acknowledged lapses in safeguards and said it is fixing them urgently, while research by AI Forensic reported a high share of altered images contained nudity or pornographic content without consent; legal experts advise victims to preserve evidence and file formal reports.