Tag: X

TechPulse

X Admits Lapse in India, Removes 3,500 Grok Posts and Deletes 600 Accounts Over Objectionable Content

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

Microblogging platform X has acknowledged lapses in handling objectionable content generated by its AI chatbot Grok, leading to the removal of approximately 3,500 posts and the deletion of over 600 accounts in India. The action came about a week after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology raised serious concerns over obscene and sexually explicit content linked to the AI tool.

Officials aware of the development said the company accepted its mistake and committed to complying with Indian laws. According to a communication shared with authorities, X assured that it would not allow obscene imagery going forward. However, neither MeitY nor X issued an official public statement detailing the timeline or scope of the action taken.

Grok, developed by Elon Musk’s xAI and integrated into X, has faced intense scrutiny globally after users exploited its image-generation and editing capabilities to create non-consensual and sexualised deepfake images, including those involving women and minors. These images spread rapidly on the platform, prompting investigations by regulators in multiple countries. Indonesia has already suspended access to Grok, while authorities in the European Union and the UK have launched probes into the tool’s safeguards.

MeitY formally wrote to X on January 2, flagging what it described as serious failures in preventing obscene content generated using Grok. The ministry warned that continued non-compliance could result in X losing its safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. X sought an extension to respond, citing the Christmas and New Year holidays, with the deadline set for January 7.

Officials indicated that the ministry was dissatisfied with X’s initial response, which largely reiterated existing user policies without detailing concrete enforcement actions. This prompted MeitY to seek a more detailed report outlining specific steps taken against offending content and accounts. The government also clarified that Grok would be treated as a content creator rather than merely a platform tool, a classification that could significantly impact intermediary liability.

The ministry noted that misuse of Grok was not limited to fake accounts but also targeted women who uploaded their own photos or videos, which were then manipulated using AI prompts. The letter cited violations under multiple Indian laws, including provisions of the IT Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

X was directed to comprehensively review Grok’s prompt processing, output generation, image handling and safety guardrails, and to enforce strong deterrent measures such as account suspensions and terminations. MeitY officials have stated that compliance by X and other platforms will continue to be closely monitored, warning that any recurrence of violations could invite stricter action.

The controversy has also drawn political attention, with Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi accusing X of monetising harmful behaviour after restricting Grok’s image-generation feature to paid users. The episode underscores growing global concerns around AI-generated content, especially as reports indicate a sharp rise in AI-generated abuse imagery worldwide, intensifying calls for stricter regulation and accountability.

International

Nepal Bans Facebook, X, YouTube, and 23 Other Social Media Platforms Over Registration Dispute

Tanisha Cardozo

In a controversial and far-reaching decision, the Government of Nepal has ordered the shutdown of 26 major social media platforms — including global giants Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Instagram — citing their failure to comply with mandatory registration requirements. The decision, announced by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology on September 4, follows a seven-day deadline that expired the previous night.

According to the Ministry, the ban will remain in place until the platforms are formally registered with Nepali authorities. The Nepal Telecommunication Authority has been instructed to enforce the ban immediately. Officials stated that multiple requests had been made for compliance, with the final deadline passed without any action from the social media companies.

However, this crackdown has sparked widespread backlash both domestically and internationally. Free speech advocates and digital rights organizations have condemned the move, describing it as an attempt to suppress dissent and limit public discourse. Critics argue that the government’s registration demands are excessively intrusive, requiring platforms to submit to tight oversight and control that may violate global standards of digital autonomy and privacy.

Ujjwal Acharya, Director of the Center for Media Research, criticized the decision as deeply misguided, warning that it threatens Nepal’s democratic credentials. He emphasized that social media is no longer just a political tool but an essential part of modern life, used by individuals and businesses alike for communication, commerce, and creativity.

This is not the first time Nepal has moved against social platforms. In 2023, the government temporarily banned TikTok under similar circumstances. That ban was reversed in August 2024, only after TikTok agreed to register in Nepal. Since assuming power over a year ago, the K.P. Sharma Oli government has faced repeated allegations of authoritarian tendencies and increasing hostility toward online dissent.

Earlier this year, the government attempted to introduce sweeping legislation aimed at regulating all online activity under the pretext of protecting users. That effort was met with significant resistance from civil society and media watchdogs. The current ban appears to be an extension of that same regulatory vision, now enforced with greater authority after a Supreme Court ruling two weeks ago upheld the necessity of mandatory registration for all online platforms operating in Nepal.

The sudden blackout of widely used platforms has sent shockwaves through Nepal’s digital population. Many users posted what they feared could be their last messages before the sites went dark, while others decried the government for undermining basic freedoms.

As the country navigates the fallout of this decision, concerns are growing about the long-term implications for online expression, entrepreneurship, and Nepal’s global reputation as a democratic nation. Whether the banned platforms will eventually comply or push back against the government’s demands remains to be seen — but for now, Nepal’s digital landscape has changed dramatically, and not for the better.