New Delhi: Social media platform X have acknowledged significant failures in its content moderation systems. The platform has officially pledged total adherence to national regulations. In a sweeping effort to rectify the issues, the platform has reportedly disabled around 3,500 posts and deleted around 600 accounts that are related to obscene imagery made through the platform’s AI tool, Grok.
Government sources spoke to news agency ANI and said, “The social media platform ‘X’ has admitted its mistake and stated that it will comply with Indian law. Around 3,500 pieces of content were blocked, and over 600 accounts were deleted. Going forward, X will not allow obscene imagery.”
The measures come as a direct response to mandates from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which had recently raised alarms over the presence of explicit and illegal material, specifically imagery produced from the platform’s AI tool, Grok.
What did MeitY’s letter to X say, and how did the platform react?
The ministry had sent a letter to X, previously known as Twitter, the social media website which is owned by Elon Musk, highlighting the failures in moderating the AI-generated content on their platform. The ministry further highlighted concerns about Grok and other services of xAI being used to generate and spread obscene and non-consensual images, targeting the dignity and privacy of women.
Through the letter, the government sought a report on the actions taken by the company and the immediate removal of illicit materials.
While X has submitted a reply to the ministry, officials have noted that it isn’t adequate, noting that the response from the social media platform lacked specific actions taken and preventive steps that have been implemented.
The government scrutiny reached a peak following a strict 72-hour deadline to remove the site of vulgarity was extended by an additional two days. Despite X filing a compliance report claiming it was addressing the violations, reports surfaced that Grok was still producing prohibited adult content as recently as Wednesday, drawing condemnation from international regulators.
Due to the lapses, the Indian government had warned that the X’s “safe harbour” status, which lets the platform legal immunity for content posted by its users, is at risk of being revoked.
MeitY wants a thorough overhaul of Grok’s structure
MeitY have demanded a thorough overhaul of Grok’s technical and governance structures to ensure it cannot be manipulated into generating illicit or obscene results. Officials have emphasised that failing to meet the rigorous due diligence standards set by the Information Technology Act and the 2021 Rules might lead to the removal of this legal shield, which X had previously faced during past disputes over the appointment of local compliance officers.
In their role as a major social media provider, X needs to maintain rigorous compliance with the national regulations in order to maintain its legal protection against being held responsible for user-generated material.
This is not the first time the company has faced such a threat; when it was known as Twitter, it temporarily forfeited this legal shield owing to its failure to designate required compliance officers within India. Later, the platform regained its status after addressing the regulatory gaps through the judicial system.