Overview
- Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a cease‑and‑desist letter directing xAI to stop Grok from producing non‑consensual explicit images and any content involving minors, citing potential violations of multiple California laws.
- xAI was told to implement fixes by Jan. 20 at 5 p.m., with the AG’s investigation into the company’s handling of explicit content continuing.
- X and xAI say they have introduced technical limits, including blocking edits of real‑person photos—such as bikini or lingerie manipulations—and placing image generation behind paid tiers with regional enforcement.
- Influencer Ashley St. Clair sued xAI in New York alleging Grok generated explicit deepfakes of her, including from childhood photos, while X filed a separate suit accusing her of breaching contract by suing in the wrong forum.
- Government actions expanded as the Philippines joined Malaysia and Indonesia in blocking Grok, and a coalition of 28 advocacy groups urged Apple and Google to remove the X and Grok apps from their stores.