Apple Warned xAI to Fix Grok Deepfakes or Face App Removal

Apple privately warned Elon Musk's xAI in January that it would remove the Grok AI app from the App Store unless the company addressed violations involving the generation of nude and sexualized deepfakes, according to a letter the company sent to U.S. senators. The action followed reports earlier this year of users on the X platform creating nonconsensual explicit images, including those depicting women and children, using Grok's image-generation features.

The controversy erupted when X users shared manipulated photos that digitally altered clothing or posed individuals in revealing scenarios, often based on real people's images. Apple, which maintains strict guidelines prohibiting offensive, sexual, or exploitative content in its App Store, identified both the Grok app and the X platform as noncompliant. In response, the company contacted xAI and demanded a detailed content moderation plan to prevent such misuse.

Initial efforts by xAI fell short. Apple rejected the first updated version of Grok, stating that the changes did not sufficiently resolve the issues. A subsequent review found that X had largely addressed its violations, but Grok remained out of compliance. Officials...