Australia’s internet regulator launches second probe into X for surge of Grok-generated sexualised images

Australia’s internet regulator has launched a second investigation into Elon Musk’s X and AI chatbot Grok after a surge of non-consensual generated sexualised images flooding the social media site.

The altering of images to place predominately women and children in revealing clothing triggered widespread global backlash, with Indonesia and Malaysia moving to suspend Grok and the UK and California launching investigations.

After weeks of concern X announced on Thursday it had tightened controls on its built-in artificial intelligence tool Grok, saying in a public statement that it had “implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis”.

The company’s AI division, xAI, is also moving all image-generation tools behind a subscriber paywall, meaning non-paying users will no longer be able to create images.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant labelled the generation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the app as “heinous”.

“We have two investigations, one into X for hosting child sexual abuse material. The second that we issued yesterday is around our designated internet standard, which prevents high impact AI generative services from creating child sexual abuse and they have affirmative duties to detect, deter, disrupt and prevent the generation of CSAM,” she said.

“This is what we’re investigating. Clearly this has been happening.

“We’re taking and removing content that’s non-consensual intimate imagery of adults.

“But I think we all agree that the generation of CSAM is heinous and this needs to be more closely looked at.”

Senior Labor Minister Penny Wong said big tech and social media companies should prevent their sites from being used to spread harmful content.

“I think we all want platforms to be responsible, and we all want platforms to ensure that they are not used as vectors for hatred, for discrimination and for denigration,” the Foreign Minister said.

Indonesia’s government temporarily blocked access to Grok on Saturday, followed by Malaysia on Sunday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday condemned the platform for allowing Grok to place subjects in sexualised poses and in bikinis, but unlike his international counterparts, he hasn’t moved to suspend it.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been outspoken on the issue, tasking Britain’s internet regulator Ofcom with investigating whether X has breached the nations’ Online Safety Act.

Mr Starmer said he wanted “all options to be on the table” and warned the platform could lose the “right to self-regulate” and “if X cannot control Grok, we will”.

“Free speech is not the freedom to violate consent. Young women’s images are not public property, and their safety is not up for debate,” Mr Starmer said.

“I welcome that X is now acting to ensure full compliance with UK law — it must happen immediately.

“If we need to strengthen existing laws further, we are prepared to do that.”

Australia’s regulator wrote to X last week seeking further information about the safeguards in place to prevent Grok’s misuse on its service and to comply with these obligations after reports to the eSafety Commission doubled since late December.