Three Democratic US senators are pressing Apple and Google to remove the social media platform X and its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok from their app stores, citing serious concerns over the generation of sexually explicit and potentially illegal content involving women and children.
In a letter sent to Apple chief executive Tim Cook and Google chief executive Sundar Pichai, Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico argued that the continued availability of the apps violates both companies’ app store rules. The lawmakers pointed to policies that prohibit apps from creating, distributing or enabling disturbing or offensive material, including nonconsensual sexual images and content that could facilitate the sexual exploitation of minors.
The senators said recent reports show that users on X have been using Grok, an AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI, to generate sexual imagery of real people without their consent and on a large scale. They also criticized Musk’s public reaction to those reports, saying his response reflected indifference to the seriousness of the issue.
According to the lawmakers, this behavior demonstrates a “complete disregard” for the distribution standards set by Apple and Google, prompting their call for the immediate removal of both X and Grok until the matter is adequately addressed.
“There can be no mistake about X’s knowledge, and at best negligent response to these trends,” the senators wrote. They warned that failing to act would undermine Apple and Google’s claims that their app stores provide a safer environment for users compared with unrestricted app downloads.
The letter also highlighted how safety and moderation have been central to Apple and Google’s arguments against proposed legislation aimed at increasing competition in the app marketplace. The senators said those claims would ring hollow if the companies declined to intervene in the case of X and Grok.
The lawmakers further noted that both companies have demonstrated the ability to act swiftly when they choose to. They cited the recent removal of apps such as ICEBlock and Red Dot, which allowed users to report immigration enforcement activity, arguing that those apps were taken down rapidly despite not hosting illegal content.
“Unlike Grok’s disturbing content generation, those apps were not creating or hosting harmful material,” the senators said. “Yet you removed them based on claims that they posed risks. Given the severity of the harm linked to Grok, at minimum, temporary removal while a full investigation is conducted is warranted.”
The letter comes amid mounting scrutiny of Grok following a surge in activity on X involving users prompting the chatbot to alter normal photos into explicit sexual images. The senators said this has led to the widespread creation of images depicting women being abused, humiliated and harmed.
They also cited research suggesting the existence of a Grok related image archive containing more than 70 images that may qualify as child sexual abuse material generated since August.
In response to growing criticism, X announced late Thursday that it would restrict image generation requests through Grok to paid subscribers. That move has done little to ease regulatory attention, with authorities in multiple countries raising questions about the chatbot’s outputs.
The United Kingdom’s data protection regulator confirmed it is examining the issue, saying it has contacted X and xAI to understand what safeguards are in place to comply with data protection laws and protect individual rights.
“People have a right to use social media knowing their personal data is handled lawfully and with respect,” a spokesperson for the regulator said, adding that further action could follow depending on the companies’ response.
