Govt may withdraw X's safe harbour tag over Grok AI obscene content lapses

The government has reportedly warned X of strict action if it fails to follow directions on removing AI-generated obscene content, stressing the need to protect users' safety and dignity online

The Centre has warned  social media platform X over  AI-generated obscene content, saying if it does not follow takedown orders for such content, it risks losing its  “safe harbour” status under the Indian law, The Economic Times reported.

 

Notably, X has previously lost legal immunity for non-compliance with Indian rules.

 

What is safe harbour?

 

Under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, online platforms are protected from liability for user-generated content, as long as they follow government rules and act quickly on takedown orders.

 

As a significant social media intermediary (SSMI), X must meet stricter legal and compliance requirements.

 

 

What triggered the warning

 

On January 2, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) sent a formal notice to X over reported use of its AI chatbot, Grok, for creation and circulation of obscene images and videos of women.

 

The notice gave the platform 72 hours to remove objectionable content, take action against offending accounts and submit an action-taken and compliance report

 

It also warned that failure to show auditable compliance could lead to the loss of safe harbour protection.

 

X’s earlier brush with Indian law

 

In 2021, X (then Twitter) briefly lost its safe harbour protection after failing to fully comply with the IT Rules, 2021.

 

At the time, the Delhi High Court noted that the Centre was free to take action if the platform did not follow the law. Twitter later appointed key India-based officers, but its legal immunity remained suspended for nearly three months.

 

MeitY’s latest notice has again questioned the role and authority of X’s Chief Compliance Officer. It is important that these officers have real oversight and the power to act when required, an official quoted by The Economic Times said.