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Today’s newsletter focuses on tech as a coalition of women's groups, tech watchdogs and progressive activists call on Google and Apple to remove Elon Musk's social media site X and its related chatbot, Grok, from their app stores.
Musk's xAI chatbot Grok is under scrutiny after it began generating sexually explicit content on X and in some cases, images of minors digitally stripped down to swimwear, sparking broad criticism.
Malaysia and Indonesia have already banned Grok over the explicit content, while authorities in Europe and the United Kingdom have announced investigations or demanded answers. xAI said late on Wednesday it imposed restrictions on all users of its Grok AI chatbot that limit image editing after concerns from global regulators. X curtailed Grok's ability to generate or edit images publicly for many of its users following scrutiny from multiple organizations. Also on my radar today: |
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Jenna Sherman poses for a portrait as American women's groups urge Google and Apple to ban X and Grok from their app stores. Los Angeles, California, U.S. REUTERS/Mike Blake |
A spree of ‘mass digitally undressing’ |
In two open letters, a coalition of activist groups accused the Musk-owned apps of generating illegal content that violates both companies' terms of service. Click here for a Reuters report about the letters.
Signatories include the feminist group UltraViolet, the National Organization for Women, the liberal group MoveOn, and the parent advocacy group ParentsTogether Action. The letters are aimed at piling pressure on Musk after Grok began generating hyper-realistic images of women and minors in scant clothing at the turn of the year. The letters noted how civil society groups have been warning about the use of Grok to promote biases and generate and proliferate non-consensual sexual deepfakes, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), since its launch.
“However, the threat increased significantly in August 2025 — two months after receiving widespread condemnation for Grok’s spewing of racial and anti-Semitic slurs,” reads the letter. “At that time, xAI, owned by Elon Musk, launched what it called a ‘spicy’ mode for the chatbot, allowing users to create pornographic images and videos by ‘declothing’ random real people online.
“A mass spree of ‘mass digitally undressing’ women and minors has ensued since, peaking in the last weeks.” |
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The flood of nearly nude images of real people has rung alarm bells internationally. Governments and regulators from Europe to Asia are cracking down on sexually explicit content generated by Grok on X, launching probes, imposing bans and demanding safeguards, in a growing global push to curb illegal material.
Click here for some reactions from governments and regulators around the world. Separately, some organizations and leaders are pulling back from X.
California's governor and attorney general said that they were demanding answers from Musk's xAI after the billionaire said he was not aware of any "naked underage images" generated by Grok.
The American Federation of Teachers announced it was quitting the social network over indecent images of children produced by Grok. Earlier this month, Reuters identified several cases where Grok created sexualized images of children. X did not respond to a message seeking comment on Reuters' findings.
In an earlier statement to the news agency about reports that sexualized images of children were circulating on the platform, X’s owner xAI said: "Legacy Media Lies." |
People take part in a protest by against President Trump's new sweeping travel ban. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, U.S. REUTERS/Jill Connelly |
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U.S. migration ban: The Trump administration is suspending all visa processing for applicants from 75 countries beginning on January 21, according to a State Department spokesperson. Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Thailand are among the affected countries, the spokesperson said.
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Benin migration plans: While one country closes its doors another one opens. Benin is offering citizenship to people of African descent through the "My Afro Origins" program, an important piece of President Patrice Talon's plan to raise his country's profile to prospective tourists and highlighting its prominent role in the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved people. Filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife Tonya Lewis Lee were last year named ambassadors for the program to the African-American community.
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Gaza peace plan: U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff announced the establishment of a 15-member Palestinian body that will play a role in administering the war-ravaged territory under a phased U.S. plan for Gaza's future.
- Brazil Indigenous rights: Six out of 10 of Brazil's Supreme Court reaffirmed protections for Indigenous land rights, curbing attempts by Congress to limit the recognition of reservations in a ruling likely to stoke tensions between the top court and lawmakers. Click here for the full Reuters report.
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Trump, Venezuela and oil: U.S. President Donald Trump said that he believes it would be better for Venezuela to remain in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, but added he was unsure if that would be a better situation for the United States. Trump has sought to assert control over Venezuela’s oil supply after the U.S. ousted President Nicolás Maduro in an operation earlier this month. Click here for the Reuters exclusive.
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Sustainable Switch was edited by Emelia Sithole-Matarise. |
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