Brazil Directs X to Immediately Halt Grok's Sexualized Deepfakes

Brazilian officials have ordered X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, to immediately prevent its AI chatbot Grok from creating sexualized images. This directive comes amid increasing worldwide scrutiny of Grok's functionalities.

A joint statement from Brazil's National Data Protection Agency (ANPD), the National Consumer Rights Bureau (Senacon), and the Federal Prosecution Service announced the directive on Wednesday. They instructed X to take immediate action to stop Grok from producing sexualized or erotic content involving both children and adolescents, as well as adults who have not provided consent.

The agencies granted the company a five-day deadline to comply with this directive, warning of potential legal repercussions and financial penalties for non-compliance.

This initiative is in response to growing international concerns about Grok's capacity to generate sexually explicit deepfakes via straightforward text prompts. Last month, Indonesia outright banned the chatbot, while authorities in the UK and France have expressed intentions to urge X and its AI subsidiary, xAI, to deal with this matter.

Regulators in Brazil noted that X had previously asserted it had removed thousands of posts and suspended many accounts following an earlier warning. Despite this, officials reported that subsequent investigations revealed users could still create sexualized deepfakes with Grok.

They condemned the company for its alleged lack of transparency in addressing these issues.

On January 15, X had launched new measures designed to prevent Grok from modifying images of real individuals in regions where such actions are prohibited. However, it remains unclear in which countries these restrictions are fully implemented.

Pressure on xAI has intensified since Grok's “Spicy Mode” feature allowed users to create explicit, AI-generated images of women and children by submitting prompts, including requests for clothing removal or changes to attire.

The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) estimated that Grok was responsible for producing millions of sexualized images soon after the feature's rollout, amplifying demands for more stringent oversight and enforcement of regulations.