A coalition of women's rights groups and technology watchdog organizations has called on Apple and Google to remove the social network X and its associated chatbot Grok , developed by Elon Musk 's company xAI, from their app stores.
In a letter made public on Wednesday, these organizations accuse the two applications of generating and distributing illegal content, including sexually explicit, degrading or violent images produced by artificial intelligence, in alleged violation of the rules of the download platforms of Apple and Google.
The initiative is notably supported by the feminist collective UltraViolet, the National Organization of Women, the progressive movement MoveOn, and the association ParentsTogether Action. According to them, the use of Grok has facilitated the creation of non-consensual images depicting women and minors, raising serious concerns about child protection and respect for human dignity.
"We urge Apple and Google to take this situation very seriously," said Jenna Sherman , UltraViolet's campaign director, arguing that the two tech companies were indirectly contributing to a system that exposes women and children to sexual abuse through their platforms.
Neither Apple nor Google immediately responded to requests for comment. X did not respond to Reuters' questions, while xAI dismissed the criticism, claiming that "the mainstream media lies."
The controversy intensified after the massive release, earlier this year, of hyperrealistic images of women and minors generated by artificial intelligence on X. Several countries, including Malaysia and Indonesia, have already banned Grok because of its explicit content, while European and British authorities have opened investigations or demanded explanations.
In response to these controversies, some organizations have distanced themselves from X. The American Federation of Teachers, in particular, announced its departure from the social network, citing the presence of indecent images of children generated by Grok, despite technical adjustments intended to limit the public dissemination of this type of content.
