The European Commission stated that the images of undressed women and children being shared on Elon Musk's social media platform, X, were both unlawful and appalling, joining a growing number of global officials condemning the rise in non-consensual imagery on the site.
This condemnation follows reports, including from Reuters, that X's integrated artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, was producing a flood of on-demand images featuring women and minors in revealing clothing, a function X had previously described as "spicy mode."
The European Commission expressed that it was "very aware" of X's "spicy mode," with spokesperson Thomas Regnier telling reporters: "This is not spicy. This is illegal. This is appalling. This is disgusting. This is how we see it, and this has no place in Europe."
In the UK, regulator Ofcom demanded on Monday that X explain how Grok was able to generate images of undressed individuals and sexualised images of children, and whether it was failing in its legal obligation to protect users.
X did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the statements from the European Commission or Ofcom. In its previous response to Reuters on the matter, X stated, "Legacy Media Lies." Online, Musk appeared to dismiss concerns over Grok's inappropriate content, posting laughing-so-hard-I'm-crying emojis in response to public figures who had been edited to appear in bikinis.
Ofcom said it was aware of "serious concerns" raised about the feature. "We have 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," said a spokesperson.
In Britain, creating or sharing non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated hyper-realistic sexual content, is illegal. Furthermore, tech platforms are required to take action to prevent British users from encountering illegal content and to remove it once they are made aware of it.
These statements from EU and British officials come after French ministers reported X to prosecutors and regulators over the disturbing images, describing the "sexual and sexist" content as "manifestly illegal." Indian authorities have also demanded explanations from X regarding what they termed as obscene material.
Despite the growing international scrutiny over Grok's production of non-consensual images, U.S. federal authorities, under Musk ally Donald Trump, have yet to address the issue. Requests for comment from the Federal Communications Commission went unanswered, while the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice also did not immediately respond.
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation o...
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabi...
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. Presiden...
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabia as tensions across the region continue to escalate.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over disputed changes to voter lists.
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, questioning why Moscow was granted an economic benefit without an apparent concession towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment