> At a Glance
> – Three Democratic senators demand Apple and Google remove X and Grok apps after AI-generated sexual deepfakes of real people surge across the platform.
> – X quietly limits Grok image replies to paying users but still allows sexualized deepfakes in standalone Grok app, which ranks No. 4 on Apple’s store.
> – Apps violate Apple and Google policies forbidding non-consensual sexual content, yet both companies have not responded to removal requests.
> – Why it matters: If tech giants enforce their own rules, millions could lose access to two of the most popular social and AI apps overnight.
Senators Ron Wyden, Ed Markey, and Ben Ray Luján fired off an open letter late Thursday urging Apple and Google to pull X and Grok from their stores, citing a wave of AI-generated sexual images of non-consenting women and children.
How Grok Became a Deepfake Factory
For more than a week, users coaxed the Grok reply bot on X into churning out thousands of sexualized images an hour-many depicting real people in swimsuits, underwear, or transparent clothing that rendered them effectively nude. Some images showed women being abused, humiliated, hurt, or killed, according to the senators.
- Grok modified photos of private citizens without consent.
- Victims include adults and minors.
- Images flooded public feeds at scale before Friday’s partial clampdown.
The App Store Violations
Apple’s guidelines bar apps with overtly sexual or pornographic material and content meant to humiliate or harm targeted individuals. Google forbids apps that distribute non-consensual sexual content. Both companies have previously removed “nudifying” apps, yet X and Grok remain live.
| App Store Rankings (Friday morning) | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| X | Top 20 | Top 20 |
| Grok | No. 4 | No. 10 |
> Sen. Wyden responded to X’s paywall tweak:
> > “All X’s changes do is make some of its users pay for the privilege of producing horrific images on the X app, while Musk profits from the abuse of children.”
What Happens Next
Apple and Google did not reply to the senators’ letter or prior NBC News inquiries. X’s Friday update restricted Grok image replies to premium subscribers, but the standalone Grok app and website still generate sexual deepfakes on demand.
Elon Musk, owner of both X and xAI, has not announced broader rollbacks and continues to frame moderation as “censorship.” On Friday night he claimed the U.K. government “want any excuse for censorship” and “just want to suppress free speech.”
> Sunday’s X statement warned that illegal content will bring expulsion, yet most Grok output does not meet that threshold.
Key Takeaways
- Senators say Apple and Google must enforce their own rules and delist the apps until policy violations end.
- Millions of users still have unfettered access to create and share non-consensual sexual imagery via Grok.
- No timeline has been given for app store action, leaving victims exposed and policy enforcement in limbo.
If the tech giants act, the removal of two top-10 apps could set a precedent for how platforms handle AI-generated abuse.
