X Restricts Grok AI to Paying Subscribers Amid Global Backlash

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Social media platform X has restricted its Grok AI image-generation features to paying subscribers following a global outcry over the tool’s role in creating non-consensual sexually explicit content. The policy shift, which aims to link AI usage to verifiable payment information and user names, comes after reports that the chatbot was being used to "nudify" and sexualise images of real individuals, predominantly women, at an alarming rate. Despite these new barriers on the main platform, reports indicate that the standalone Grok application has continued to offer these features to non-subscribers, raising concerns about the efficacy of the company’s safeguards.

The restriction follows a wave of aggressive international regulatory pressure. The United Kingdom government recently urged Ofcom to exercise its full enforcement powers against the platform, while the European Union has ordered X to preserve all internal documents related to Grok to ensure compliance with digital safety rules. Additionally, the Indian government issued a formal directive on January 2, demanding the removal of all AI-generated obscene content and a comprehensive governance review of the chatbot. While owner Elon Musk has warned that users creating illegal content will face legal consequences, X remains under intense scrutiny as regulators demand more robust technical filters to prevent the invasive misuse of generative AI.