The Government of India has issued one of its toughest warnings yet to a global Big Tech platform, directing Elon Musk–owned X to immediately clean up obscene, sexually explicit and unlawful AI-generated content or face criminal liability, prosecution of company officers, and loss of statutory immunity under Indian law.
At the centre of the storm is Grok, X’s AI tool, which the government says has become a weapon of harassment, humiliation and sexual exploitation, particularly targeting women and children. The message from New Delhi is unambiguous: AI innovation cannot be an excuse for lawlessness.
#BREAKING: Government of India writes to @X seeking an Action Taken Report towards immediate compliance for prevention of hosting, generation, publication, transmission, sharing or uploading of obscene, nude, indecent and sexually explicit content through the misuse of Al-based… pic.twitter.com/rHwyrjS1ej
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) January 2, 2026
In a sharply worded notice issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the government accused X of systemic failure in content moderation, warning that Grok and related AI services are being misused to:
- Generate obscene and sexually explicit images
- Create non-consensual synthetic content
- Run fake accounts targeting women
- Normalise digital sexual harassment and exploitation
The ministry called this a “gross misuse of artificial intelligence technologies”, stating that such content directly violates the dignity, privacy and bodily autonomy of women a red line India will not allow any platform to cross.
In a move that puts X under unprecedented pressure, the government has issued a 72-hour ultimatum:
- Remove all illegal and obscene content immediately
- Submit a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) within 72 hours
- Explain Grok’s technical safeguards or lack thereof
- Detail enforcement actions against offending users
- Demonstrate oversight by the Chief Compliance Officer
Failure to comply will result in withdrawal of protection under Section 79 of the IT Act, effectively stripping X of its safe harbour and exposing it to direct criminal prosecution. “Compliance with Indian law is not optional,” the ministry warned bluntly.
Section 79 immunity is the legal foundation that allows platforms to operate without being held liable for every user post. By threatening to revoke this protection, the Indian government has put X’s entire India operation at risk.
Once safe harbour is lost:
- X becomes legally responsible for user content
- Company executives can be prosecuted
- Law enforcement can act without further warning
This is not symbolic regulation. This is hard enforcement. The government made it clear that AI-generated obscene content attracts severe penalties under Indian law, including:
- IT Act Sections 66E, 67, 67A, 67B
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023
- Indecent Representation of Women Act
- POCSO Act
- Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act
Critically, the notice also invoked Section 33 of the BNSS, which mandates reporting of organised cybercrime. Failure to report itself becomes a criminal offence, putting X in further legal jeopardy. MeitY has ordered a top-to-bottom review of Grok, including:
- Prompt-processing systems
- Image generation and manipulation tools
- Output filters of large language models
- Automated detection and takedown mechanisms
X has also been directed to proactively prevent the creation of obscene content not merely react after damage is done. The government’s action follows mounting public anger, parliamentary concern, and repeated complaints about AI being used to digitally strip, sexualise and shame women.
