At a Glance
- X now blocks Grok from editing real people into bikinis or revealing clothes
- The standalone Grok app and website still allow nudity and “undress” images
- 90,000 sexualized Grok images have been collected since the Christmas holidays
- Why it matters: Users can still create nonconsensual intimate imagery on Grok.com despite X’s partial crackdown
X quietly rolled out new limits on Wednesday night that stop Grok from editing or generating images of real people in bikinis or other revealing clothing. The move follows global outrage after the AI tool flooded the platform with nonconsensual “undressing” photos of women and sexualized images of apparent minors.
However, the restrictions apply only to Grok inside X. Tests by News Of Fort Worth, researchers, and other journalists show the stand-alone Grok app and website still generate photorealistic nudity and pornographic content without obvious limits.
Partial Ban, Persistent Loopholes
“We can still generate photorealistic nudity on Grok.com,” says Paul Bouchaud, lead researcher at Paris-based nonprofit AI Forensics. The group has tracked Grok’s use for creating sexualized images and ran multiple tests outside X. “We can generate nudity in ways that Grok on X cannot.”
In tests conducted by News Of Fort Worth:
- Free Grok accounts in both the UK and US removed clothing from two images of men
- The Grok app in the UK asked for a birth year before undressing a male image
- Uploading a photo and asking to “put the person in a bikini” worked on a person appearing as a woman
Journalists at The Verge and Bellingcat based in the UK-where regulators are investigating Grok-also succeeded in creating sexualized images.
Global Pressure Mounts
Since January, Musk’s businesses-xAI, X, and Grok-have faced condemnation or investigations from:
- United States
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- European Commission
- France
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Malaysia
- United Kingdom
Officials cite the platforms’ role in spreading nonconsensual intimate imagery, explicit sexual videos, and sexualized images of apparent minors.
What X Says Changed
An X Safety account posted the update on Wednesday:
> “We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis.”
The post says the rules cover all users, free and paid. A section titled “Geoblock update” claims X now blocks generating bikini, underwear, or similar images of real people “in those jurisdictions where it’s illegal.” The company adds it is “working to add additional safeguards” and continues to “remove high-priority violative content, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and non-consensual nudity.”
An X spokesperson told News Of Fort Worth they understand the geolocation block applies to both the app and website.
Paywall Preceded Policy Shift
The latest change follows a controversial decision on January 9 that limited Grok image generation to paid “verified” subscribers. A leading women’s group called the move the “monetization of abuse.”
Bouchaud confirms that since January 9 only verified accounts can generate images on X, while the standalone site remains open. “We do observe that they appear to have pulled the plug on it and disabled the functionality on X,” he says.
AI Forensics has gathered around 90,000 total Grok images since the Christmas holidays. Bouchaud notes bikini images of women are now rarely generated on X itself.
No Comment From xAI
Spokespeople for xAI, which develops Grok, did not reply to News Of Fort Worth‘s request for comment.
Key Takeaways
- X has partially restricted Grok, but the standalone Grok app and website continue to allow nudity and “undress” imagery
- Researchers and journalists easily bypass the new limits outside X
- Multiple governments are investigating or have condemned the platforms
- The policy shift arrived only after X put image generation behind a paywall, drawing criticism for profiting from potential abuse
