Several Democratic senators are asking Apple and Google to remove the Grok app from their app stores, citing the controversy over the chatbot creating sexualized images of real people.
On Friday, Sens. Ron Wyden, Edward Markey, and Ben Ray Luján argued that the images violate the mobile app stores’ rules. "X’s generation of these harmful and likely illegal depictions of women and children has shown complete disregard for your stores’ distribution terms,” they wrote in a [l…
Several Democratic senators are asking Apple and Google to remove the Grok app from their app stores, citing the controversy over the chatbot creating sexualized images of real people.
On Friday, Sens. Ron Wyden, Edward Markey, and Ben Ray Luján argued that the images violate the mobile app stores’ rules. "X’s generation of these harmful and likely illegal depictions of women and children has shown complete disregard for your stores’ distribution terms,” they wrote in a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. "Apple and Google must remove these apps from the app stores until X’s policy violations are addressed."
X users have been posting photos of real women on their feeds and asking Grok to remove their clothing and replace it with bikinis or lingerie. The chatbot from Elon Musk’s xAI has largely complied; in some cases, it created photos of young children, "the most heinous type of content imaginable,” the lawmakers wrote.
Both app stores have long had rules against pornography and erotic content. Apple prohibits “overtly sexual or pornographic material,” along with content deemed “exceptionally poor taste, or just plain creepy.” In April 2024, Apple removed several generative AI apps from the App Store that were being used to create nonconsensual nude images.
The Google Play Store bans the distribution of "non-consensual sexual content."
As a result, the senators say both companies should crack down, even though X and Grok are classified as social media and chatbot apps. "Turning a blind eye to X’s egregious behavior would make a mockery of your moderation practices,” the senators wrote. “Indeed, not taking action would undermine your claims in public and in court that your app stores offer a safer user experience than letting users download apps directly to their phones.”
The letter questions why X and Grok have remained up when Apple and Google moved swiftly to remove apps designed to alert people about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The senators are demanding a response by Jan. 23.
Apple and Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But in response to the controversy, X has now limited Grok’s image generation to paid subscribers. X’s safety team has also vowed to ban accounts and work with law enforcement to crack down on users found prompting Grok to create AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
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The National Cybersecurity Alliance, however, argues that “Access restrictions alone aren’t a comprehensive safeguard, as motivated bad actors may still find ways around them, and meaningful user protection ultimately needs to be grounded in how these tools are designed and governed."
Earlier this month, Musk tweeted, "Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.” Still, CNN reports that Musk has pushed back on efforts by xAI staff to add guardrails to Grok, considering it "over-censorship."
This comes as the UK government is also considering a ban on X.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
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I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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