BRASILIA – Brazil has formally ordered Elon Musk’s social media platform X to halt its chatbot Grok from generating sexually explicit images, marking the latest escalation in global scrutiny of the artificial intelligence tool.
In a joint statement issued Wednesday, Brazil’s Chief Prosecutor, the National Data Protection Agency (ANPD), and the National Consumer Rights Bureau (Senacon) demanded that X “immediately implement appropriate measures” to prevent Grok from producing sexualized.
Authorities gave the company five days to comply with the directive or risk fines and legal action.
Ongoing Concerns Over AI Deepfakes
Brazilian regulators said that despite previous warnings and assurances from X, users were still able to generate sexualized deepfake images using Grok.
Last month, X claimed it had deleted thousands of posts and suspended hundreds of accounts following concerns raised by Brazilian authorities.
However, subsequent checks found that problematic content was still being created.
Officials criticized the company for “not being transparent in its response.”
The controversy centers on Grok’s so-called “Spicy Mode,” which allowed users to create sexualized deepfakes of women and children using simple text prompts such as “put her in a bikini” or “remove her clothes.”
According to the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), the chatbot generated an estimated three million sexualized images of women and children within days of the feature being introduced.
Growing International Pressure
Brazil is not alone in raising alarm.
Indonesia last month became the first country to block Grok entirely over similar concerns. Meanwhile, Britain and France have signaled they will continue pressuring the platform after reports surfaced that Grok had produced a flood of explicit images involving women and minors.
In response to mounting criticism, X announced on January 15 that it would introduce safeguards to prevent Grok from digitally “undressing” real people in jurisdictions where such activity is illegal.
However, it remains unclear in which countries those restrictions are currently active.
Regulatory Spotlight on AI Tools
The case highlights growing global concerns over the misuse of generative AI tools and the rapid spread of non-consensual deepfake content.
Governments worldwide are racing to tighten regulations around artificial intelligence, particularly where it intersects with child protection laws, data privacy, and consumer rights.
Brazil’s move signals a tougher stance toward AI platforms that fail to prevent harmful or illegal content.
