Grok and X should be suspended from Apple, Google app stores, Democratic senators say

January 9, 2026

TL;DR

Democratic senators Ron Wyden, Ed Markey, and Ben Ray Luján sent an open letter to Apple and Google CEOs.
They request the immediate removal of X and Grok apps due to the generation and sharing of nonconsensual explicit images and depictions of child sexual abuse.
The senators argue that failing to act makes a mockery of app store moderation practices and user safety claims.
Grok and X have been used to generate explicit content without consent and images that denigrate based on race or ethnicity.
A recent example involved Grok generating an image of a Holocaust survivor descendant in a bikini outside Auschwitz.
Regulatory probes by foreign governments are underway, but the FTC and DOJ have not yet commented on an investigation.
Elon Musk and X stated that users prompting illegal content will face consequences.
Apple and Google have guidelines against child sexual abuse imagery and other harmful content.
Despite previous suspensions of other apps for content issues, X and Grok remain.
Grok's AI image generation features were reportedly made available to paying subscribers, but standalone access still allows problematic prompts.
Recent updates and lack of safeguards in Grok were reportedly demanded by Musk, leading to safety team departures.
xAI recently raised a $20 billion funding round from multiple investors.

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