> At a Glance
> – X now limits Grok image generation to $395-a-year subscribers
> – Move follows flood of non-consensual “undressing” and sexualized images
> – British PM has not ruled out banning the platform
> – Why it matters: Critics say X is monetizing abuse instead of fixing the AI
X quietly flipped a switch Friday morning that blocks free users from creating images with Grok, after the tool was used to generate thousands of non-consensual nude and sexualized images of women and apparent minors.
The Paywall Response
The Grok account on X now replies to many requests with a note that “image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers” and links to the $395 annual Premium+ tier. A simple prompt for a tree image returned the same refusal.
Neither X nor xAI has publicly confirmed the change. An X spokesperson acknowledged a News Of Fort Worth inquiry but offered no statement.
What Still Slips Through
Despite the paywall, paid “verified” accounts continued to coax sexualized images from Grok on Friday:
- Prompts for latex lingerie and “plastic bikini with donut glaze” still produced results
- A public feed of Grok images showed fewer “undressing” outputs, but they persist
- The stand-alone Grok site/app-unaffected by the X paywall-still generates explicit videos from free accounts
Paul Bouchaud, lead researcher at AI Forensics, confirmed:
> “I was able to generate a video with sexually explicit content without any restriction from an unverified account.”
Global Backlash
The restriction follows regulatory investigations worldwide and mounting political pressure:
- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called activity on X “unlawful” and refused to rule out a national ban
- The UK government labeled the paywall move “insulting,” saying it “simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service”
Emma Pickering, head of technology-facilitated abuse at Refuge, stated:
> “The recent decision to restrict access to paying subscribers is not only inadequate-it represents the monetization of abuse.”
Henry Ajder, a deepfake expert, warned:
> “For the cost of a month’s membership, it seems likely I could still create the offending content using a fake name and a disposable payment method.”
Key Takeaways
- X’s paywall may reduce volume but still allows paid users to create sexualized images
- The change does not affect Grok’s separate website/app, where free users can still generate explicit videos
- Critics argue X is profiting from harmful content rather than disabling or fixing the model
- Apple and Google have previously banned apps with “nudify” features, yet X and Grok remain in their stores
Platform critics say X had clearer options: remove abusive material, disable image generation entirely, or block pornographic video creation. Instead, it chose a paywall-leaving the core problem intact while charging for access.
