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Musk's Grok to bar users from generating sexual images of real people

Al Jazeera

Musk's Grok to bar users from generating sexual images of real people Elon Musk's X has said it will "geoblock" users of xAI Grok from creating images of people in "bikinis, underwear, and similar attire" amid a global backlash against the chatbot's sexualised images. "We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis," X's safety team said in a statement late on Wednesday. The statement did not elaborate on the nature of the geoblocking or other safeguards. X claimed to have "zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content". X's Grok faces investigations and bans from regulators and governments around the world following a deluge of sexualised AI images on the platform in recent weeks.


Labubu toy manufacturer exploited workers, labour group claims

BBC News

A labour rights organisation claims it has found evidence of worker exploitation in a Chinese factory that makes the viral Labubu dolls. China Labor Watch (CLW), a US-based non-governmental organisation, alleges that its investigation found that one of Pop Mart's suppliers made employees work excessive overtime shifts, sign blank or incomplete contracts and did not give them paid leave. The furry Labubu dolls have surged in popularity around the world in recent years and are best known for selling toys in blind boxes, which hide its content from buyers until it is opened. Pop Mart told the BBC that it is investigating the claims. The Beijing-based toy retailer said it appreciated the details from the review and that it will firmly require companies making its toys to correct their practices if the allegations are found to be true.


Musk's X to block Grok AI tool from creating sexualized images of real people

The Guardian

Elon Musk said he was'not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. Elon Musk said he was'not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. Musk's X to block Grok AI tool from creating sexualised images of real people UK government claims vindication after Keir Starmer criticised earlier decision to keep functionality as'horrific' The UK government has claimed "vindication" after Elon Musk's X announced it had stopped its AI-powered Grok feature from editing pictures of real people to show them in revealing clothes such as bikinis, including for premium subscribers. Following a fortnight of public outcry at the tool embedded into X being used to create sexualised images of women and children, the company said it would "geoblock" the ability of users "to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear, and similar attire via the Grok account and in Grok in X", in countries where it was illegal. It said it would do this in the UK in line with law changes ministers have pledged to introduce.


X to stop Grok AI from undressing images of real people after backlash

BBC News

Elon Musk's AI model Grok will no longer be able to edit photos of real people to show them in revealing clothing, after widespread concern over sexualised AI deepfakes in countries including the UK and US. We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis. This restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers, reads an announcement on X, which operates the Grok AI tool. The change was announced hours after California's top prosecutor said the state was probing the spread of sexualised AI deepfakes, including of children, generated by the AI model. The update expands measures that stop all users, including paid subscribers, editing images of real people in revealing outfits.


X says Grok will no longer edit images of real people into bikinis

Engadget

Apple's Siri AI will be powered by Gemini The company is also blocking image generation entirely from non-subscribers. XAI logo dislpayed on a screen and Grok account on X displayed on a phone screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in London, Great Britain on July 9, 2025. X says it is changing its policies around Grok's image-editing abilities following a multi-week outcry over the chatbot repeatedly being accused of generating sexualized images of children and nonconsensual nudity. In an update shared from the @Safety account on X, the company said it has "implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis." The new safeguards, according to X, will apply to all users regardless of whether they pay for Grok.


Child rights org says Google undermines parental control of child accounts

Al Jazeera

A child rights advocacy organisation in the United States is accusing Google of bypassing parental authority by allowing children to disable parental supervision over Google accounts after they turn 13. Melissa McKay, president of the Digital Childhood Institute, stated on LinkedIn that Google sent her 12-year-old an email that will unlock additional tools once he turns 13, posting screenshots of the email. Among the changes, once children turn the age of 13, they can turn off supervised experiences on YouTube and can add payment methods to Google Pay. Parents will no longer be able to block apps, turn on location sharing without the permission of the child user or block access to payment features. "Google is asserting authority over a boundary that does not belong to them. It reframes parents as a temporary inconvenience to be outgrown and positions corporate platforms as the default replacement," McKay said in a post on LinkedIn.


28 advocacy groups call on Apple and Google to ban Grok, X over nonconsensual deepfakes

Engadget

Apple's Siri AI will be powered by Gemini Neither company has responded to Engadget's request for comment. The two (frequently virtue-signaling) companies have inexplicably allowed Grok and X to remain in their app stores -- even as Musk's chatbot reportedly continues to produce the material. On Wednesday, a coalition of women's and progressive advocacy groups called on Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai to uphold their own rules and remove the apps. The open letters to Apple and Google were signed by 28 groups. Among them are the women's advocacy group Ultraviolet, the parents' group ParentsTogether Action and the National Organization for Women.


California is investigating Grok over AI-generated CSAM and nonconsensual deepfakes

Engadget

Apple's Siri AI will be powered by Gemini Governor Gavin Newsom called for an investigation into xAI. An illustration photo shows Grok logo displayed on a smartphone with the xAI logo in the background . California authorities have launched an investigation into xAI following weeks of reports that the chatbot was generating sexualized images of children. The statement cited a report that more than half of the 20,000 images generated by xAI between Christmas and New Years depicted people in minimal clothing, including some that appeared to be children. We have zero tolerance for the AI-based creation and dissemination of nonconsensual intimate images or of child sexual abuse material," Bonta said. "Today, my office formally announces an investigation into xAI to determine whether and how xAI violated the law.


California investigates Grok over AI deepfakes

BBC News

California's top prosecutor has launched an investigation into the spread of sexualised AI deepfakes generated by Elon Musk's AI model Grok. Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement announcing the probe: The avalanche of reports detailing the non-consensual, sexually explicit material that xAI has produced and posted online in recent weeks is shocking. California's inquiry comes as British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warns of possible action against X. In Wednesday's statement, Bonta said: This material, which depicts women and children in nude and sexually explicit situations, has been used to harass people across the internet. The Democratic prosecutor urged xAI to take immediate action.


Elon Musk's stubborn spin on Grok's sexualized images controversy

The Guardian

Elon Musk has been promoting Grok's popularity as if it were a piece of productivity software. Elon Musk has been promoting Grok's popularity as if it were a piece of productivity software. Today, we discuss Elon Musk's rosy depiction of Grok's image generation controversy; the seven-figure panic among Silicon Valley billionaires over a proposed wealth tax in California, though with one notable exception; and how AI and robotics have revitalized the Consumer Electronics Showcase. The firestorm over the Grok AI tool has been raging for more than a week now, and it shows no signs of dying down. Last week, I wrote about the rising backlash against Elon Musk's Grok AI tool, which in recent weeks has allowed users to generate thousands of sexualized images of women.