**US Senators Demand Apple and Google Remove X and Grok Apps Over AI-Generated Inappropriate Content**
X and Grok are facing serious scrutiny as three United States Senators have called for the immediate removal of these platforms from Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Senators Ron Wyden, Edward J. Markey, and Ben Ray Luján jointly issued a press release announcing that they have sent a formal letter to both Apple and Google, urging them to take down the X and Grok apps.
The senators’ concerns stem from claims that the AI tools used by X and Grok have been exploited to generate “nonconsensual sexualized images of women and children at scale.” Recently, there has been growing alarm over a surge of inappropriate content spreading on X, attributed to the misuse of its AI content generation capabilities.
According to the senators, these AI-generated images often use likenesses of “real, private citizens,” depicting terrifying scenarios involving women being “sexually abused, humiliated, hurt, and even killed.” In their letter addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the senators warned:
“Turning a blind eye to X’s egregious behavior would make a mockery of your moderation practices.”
They further emphasized that failing to act would undermine Apple and Google’s public and legal claims that their app stores provide a safer user experience compared to allowing users to download apps directly to their devices.
The senators also highlighted the tech giants’ ability to respond swiftly to violations of app store policies, citing the recent removal of the ICEBlock app—an app notorious for tracking federal and law enforcement officials—as an example of decisive action.
### ‘Sickening’ Content Generated by X and Grok AI
The letter specifically condemns X’s Grok AI tool for producing “sickening” content that sexualizes real individuals, particularly women and children, without their consent. The senators categorize this content as not only unethical but also illegal, potentially constituting child sexual abuse material.
They assert that this issue has persisted for quite some time. Referencing recent research, the senators noted that an archive of Grok-generated images reportedly contains nearly 100 possible child sexual abuse materials dating back to August. The archive also includes many other nonconsensual nude depictions of real people subjected to torture and worse.
### Elon Musk’s Role Under Fire
The senators did not spare Elon Musk, owner of X and founder and CEO of xAI. They claim Musk has “encouraged” this harmful behavior by publicly acknowledging the inappropriate use of X’s AI content generation tools. The letter further alleges that Musk’s reaction—using “laugh-cry emojis” in response to some of these posts—demonstrates a troubling disregard for the severity of the situation.
As the call for app removals gains traction, Apple and Google face mounting pressure to enforce their policies and protect users from the dangers posed by AI-generated harmful content on these platforms.
https://www.techtimes.com/articles/313944/20260109/x-grok-takedown-senators-ask-apple-google-remove-apps-due-sickening-content-generation.htm