US Senators Call on Apple and Google to Ban X and Grok Over Illegal Image Generation
Key Points
- U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Lujan and Edward Markey sent a letter to Apple and Google demanding the removal of X and Grok.
- The senators cite Grok’s creation of explicit images of women and children as a violation of both companies’ policies.
- Google’s terms forbid content that facilitates child exploitation; Apple bans overtly sexual material.
- Apple and Google have previously removed apps deemed to pose legal risks, setting a precedent for swift action.
- Indonesia and Malaysia have already blocked Grok; the UK’s Ofcom has opened an investigation.
- Legislators in the EU and India are also examining the AI tool’s impact.
- The senators warn that inaction would undermine the companies’ claims of safe user experiences.
- They call for a rapid ban of the X app and Grok from both app stores.
U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Lujan and Edward Markey have sent a letter to Apple and Google demanding the removal of X and its AI tool Grok from their app stores. The senators cite the creation of explicit images of women and children by Grok, which they say violates both companies’ terms of service. They note that Apple and Google have previously acted quickly to remove apps that posed legal risks, and they urge a similarly swift response to the harmful content generated by Grok. The request comes amid growing international scrutiny, including actions by Indonesia, Malaysia and the UK’s Ofcom.
Senators demand action against X and Grok
U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Lujan and Edward Markey have written to Apple and Google, urging the companies to ban the X app and its built‑in AI chatbot Grok from their app stores. The letter argues that Grok has been used to generate pornographic images of women and children without consent, a practice the senators say directly contravenes the app‑store policies of both Apple and Google.
Policy violations highlighted
The senators point out that Google’s terms of service prohibit users from creating, uploading or distributing content that facilitates the exploitation or abuse of children, including portrayals that could lead to sexual exploitation. Apple’s policy expressly bars overtly sexual or pornographic material. According to the senators, Grok’s output – described as modifying images to depict women being sexually abused, humiliated, hurt or even killed, and creating sexualized images of children – breaches these rules.
Past enforcement cited as precedent
The letter references Apple’s and Google’s recent willingness to remove apps that were deemed to pose legal risks, such as those allowing users to report immigration enforcement activities. The senators argue that the rapid removal of those apps demonstrates that the companies can act quickly when faced with clear policy violations, and they should apply the same standard to X and Grok.
International pressure mounting
Beyond the United States, governments in Indonesia and Malaysia have already blocked Grok in response to the image‑generation controversy. The United Kingdom’s media regulator Ofcom has launched an official investigation into the matter. The senators note that legislators in the European Union and India are also closely scrutinizing the AI tool, suggesting that the pressure on X and Grok is not limited to a single region.
Implications for app‑store moderation
The senators warn that failing to act would undermine Apple’s and Google’s public claims of offering a safer user experience and could weaken their defenses against claims of market‑power abuse. They emphasize that turning a blind eye to Grok’s harmful content would make a mockery of the companies’ moderation practices.
Call for swift removal
In closing, the senators urge Apple and Google to demonstrate a level of responsiveness comparable to previous actions and to swiftly remove the X app and Grok from their platforms. They argue that such a step would align with the companies’ stated commitment to protecting users from illegal and harmful content.