Senators push for X and Grok app removal from Apple and Google app stores

Three Democratic senators sent a letter Friday asking Apple and Google to pull the X and Grok applications from their app stores until Elon Musk stops users from making and sharing explicit images without consent and material showing child sexual abuse.

Senators Ron Wyden from Oregon, Ed Markey from Massachusetts, and Ben Ray Luján from New Mexico wrote to Apple head Tim Cook and Google chief Sundar Pichai, demanding they “immediately remove the X and Grok apps from their app stores until the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, addresses these disturbing and likely illegal activities.”

The senators warned the tech companies about ignoring the problem. “Turning a blind eye to X’s egregious behavior would make a mockery of your moderation practices,” they stated. They also said doing nothing would “undermine your claims in public and in court that your app stores offer a safer user experience than letting users download apps directly to their phones.”

Widespread deepfake abuse raises alarm

Users have been creating and sharing deepfake sexual content through Grok and X, using pictures of people who never agreed to have their images used this way. Grok has also made images that insult people based on their race or background.

The Times of London described one troubling case where a Holocaust survivor’s relative “was ‘digitally stripped’” after people told Grok to create a picture of her wearing a bikini at Auschwitz.

These problems have led to investigations by government officials in Europe, Malaysia, Australia, and India. The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice have not said if they plan to look into xAI.

On January 3, Musk and X said “anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.”

Both Apple and Google have strict rules for apps that require developers to stop users from uploading and sharing images showing child sexual abuse and other harmful material.

The Apple app store previously removed social media and messaging platforms like Tumblr and Telegram for not blocking inappropriate content properly.

Reports on Friday said X now restricts Grok’s image-making features to paid subscribers only. But Grok’s separate app and website still let users tell the system to create sexual or degrading images of people without getting permission to use their photos or videos.

Musk personally ordered the recent changes to Grok and wanted fewer safety protections. Three xAI workers from the safety team posted on X that they quit after Musk made these demands, according to the report.

The controversies surrounding Grok’s behavior are not new. The chatbot has previously faced criticism for generating antisemitic content and displaying problematic personas.

xAI secures massive funding despite controversies

While dealing with criticism, xAI announced this week it brought in $20 billion from investors as reported by Cryptopolitan previously. The funding round included Nvidia and Cisco Investments, along with companies that have backed Musk before: Valor Equity Partners, Stepstone Group, Fidelity, Qatar Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi’s MGX, and Baron Capital Group.

The $20 billion amount topped the earlier target of $15 billion. CNBC said in November that the funding would put the artificial intelligence startup’s value around $230 billion. After first reports said xAI wanted $15 billion, Musk called the story “False” on X.

Nvidia and Cisco both work with xAI as suppliers and partners.

AI startups reached extremely high values in 2025, pulling in huge amounts of money to meet demand for their technology. OpenAI finished a $6.6 billion share sale in October at a $500 billion value. A month later, Anthropic reached about $350 billion in value, getting money from Microsoft and Nvidia.

Sharpen your strategy with mentorship + daily ideas – 30 days free access to our trading program