'X' Directed to Audit Grok AI and Submit Action Report by Jan 5

Udaipur, Jan 03, 2026: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has ordered social media platform X to conduct a comprehensive audit of its AI chatbot Grok, following allegations that the tool was being misused to generate morphed and obscene images of women.

In a directive issued on Friday (January 2, 2026), the Ministry instructed X to carry out a detailed technical, procedural, and governance-level review of Grok to ensure it does not produce or facilitate such content. The move came after Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi flagged the issue in a letter addressed to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw earlier in the day.

X, formerly known as Twitter, did not immediately respond to the Ministry’s order. While Grok operates as a separate artificial intelligence entity under X’s holding company, it maintains an active account on the platform and automatically interacts with users. X owner Elon Musk has repeatedly highlighted Grok’s relatively unrestricted design, which includes fewer safety controls compared to AI systems developed by other major technology firms.

In a four-page communication sent to X’s Chief Compliance Officer for India, the IT Ministry stated that it had observed Grok being misused to create and distribute obscene and derogatory images or videos of women. The letter noted that such misuse involved fake accounts hosting or generating vulgar content intended to demean women.

The Ministry emphasized that compliance with the Information Technology Act and the IT Rules, 2021 is mandatory, and that the safe-harbour protections under Section 79 of the IT Act apply only if platforms strictly adhere to due diligence requirements. It also warned that such actions could independently attract criminal liability under other applicable laws.

X has been directed to immediately remove or disable access to all content that violates Indian law, without compromising evidence, and in accordance with timelines specified under the IT Rules, 2021. The Ministry has asked the company to submit an Action Taken Report by Monday, January 5, 2026.

The letter further warned that failure to comply would be treated seriously and could lead to legal action against the platform, its responsible officials, and users involved, under laws including the IT Act, the IT Rules, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

Earlier on Friday, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said social media platforms must take responsibility for the content hosted on their services. He also referred to recommendations by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT calling for stricter legislation to address obscene content online. Earlier this week, the Ministry had issued an advisory to all social media platforms urging proactive removal of obscene and pornographic material.