‘Put Her in a Bikini’: Grok’s Digital Undressing Controversy Sparks Action by X After India Steps In

The past few weeks have brought a rude shock for many women on X after the platform’s AI chatbot, Grok, was found complying with lewd requests to digitally alter their photos to make them appear nearly naked.

The generation and circulation of such sexually explicit content triggered widespread outrage and regulatory scrutiny, with several countries pushing back against Grok, the chatbot integrated into X, a social media platform owned by Elon Musk.

Days after coming under intense global criticism, X reportedly took corrective action on Sunday by blocking thousands of posts and deleting hundreds of accounts. The move followed a letter from the Indian government demanding immediate steps to stop Grok from generating obscene and sexually explicit imagery.

‘Put her in a transparent mini-bikini’

A disturbing pattern emerged on X in recent weeks, with users asking Grok to remove women’s clothing from photos and generate altered images. In many cases, the chatbot complied, sparking what critics described as a spree of mass digital undressing.

Reuters reported last week that Grok fully complied with such requests in at least 21 cases. Prompts such as “remove her school outfit” and “put her into a very transparent mini-bikini” were among those identified. In one instance, Grok replaced a woman’s clothes with a flesh-toned two-piece bikini, though it did not respond to a follow-up request to make the image even more revealing.

According to the Reuters analysis, requests to digitally strip women down to bikinis were among the most common. In some cases, celebrities, politicians, men and even minor children were targeted. Reuters also said it identified instances where Grok generated sexualised images of children, adding that X did not respond to its request for comment.

Governments push back

India was among several countries that moved swiftly to hold X accountable. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) wrote to X Corp., seeking an explanation and directing it to take immediate action. The ministry gave the company 72 hours to respond.

“It has especially been observed that the service namely ‘Grok AI’ developed by you and integrated and made available on the X platform is being misused by users to create fake accounts to host, generate, publish or share obscene images or videos of women in a derogatory or vulgar manner,” MeitY said in its letter to X’s chief compliance officer for India.

The ministry warned that failure to comply could lead to X losing legal protections under India’s IT Act.

Other countries have also taken action. French ministers reported X to prosecutors and regulators, calling the “sexual and sexist” content manifestly illegal. Indonesia has suspended Grok, while authorities in Malaysia and a Brazilian lawmaker have also sought action.

Musk’s response draws criticism

As governments raised concerns, Elon Musk appeared to downplay the controversy. In one widely criticised instance, Musk joined in when a user asked Grok to generate a bikini-clad image, requesting the chatbot to swap the subject’s face with his own and responding “Perfect” after the image was created.

The episode further fuelled criticism that the platform’s leadership was not taking the issue seriously.

Limits introduced, but backlash continues

Amid mounting pressure, X has restricted Grok’s image generation and editing features to paid subscribers. Users attempting to alter images now receive a message stating that the feature is limited to paying users.

However, critics argue that the move does little to address the underlying problem. “That simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service,” a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office was quoted as saying, calling the approach insulting to victims of misogyny and sexual violence. EU digital affairs officials echoed the concern, saying the priority should be stopping the generation of such images altogether.

X blocks content, deletes accounts

Following India’s intervention, X has now taken stronger action. More than 3,500 pieces of content were blocked and over 600 accounts were deleted, sources told HT on Sunday. The platform has assured authorities that it will operate in compliance with India’s online content laws.

“Going forward, X will not allow obscene imagery,” a source said, adding that the company admitted its mistake. However, an earlier HT report quoted officials as saying they were not fully satisfied with X’s initial response, as it failed to address several key concerns.

As scrutiny intensifies worldwide, the Grok controversy has reignited debates over AI accountability, platform responsibility and the urgent need to protect users from sexualised deepfakes and digital abuse.