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Activist Coalition Urges Apple and Google to Remove X and Grok From App Stores
A coalition of women’s rights groups, tech watchdogs and progressive activists is calling on Apple and Google to remove the social media platform X and its related artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, from their app stores, accusing the services of generating illegal and harmful content.
In open letters published on Wednesday, the coalition alleged that the Elon Musk-owned apps are violating the app store policies of both companies by enabling the creation and spread of sexually explicit, degrading and, in some cases, violent content involving women and children.
The campaign is being led by a broad alliance that includes feminist advocacy group UltraViolet, the National Organization for Women, left-leaning advocacy group MoveOn, and parent-focused organisation ParentsTogether Action. The groups say their aim is to increase pressure on Musk and the companies that distribute his apps, following reports that Grok has generated explicit and disturbing images.
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“We are really imploring Apple and Google to take this extremely seriously,” said Jenna Sherman, campaign director at UltraViolet, in an interview ahead of the letters’ release. “They are enabling a system in which thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people, particularly women and children, are being sexually abused through the help of their own app stores.”
The calls come amid mounting scrutiny of X and Grok after the platform was flooded with hyper-realistic images of women and minors in skimpy clothing around the start of the new year. Critics argue that such content violates laws in several jurisdictions and directly contravenes Apple’s and Google’s stated commitments to user safety and child protection.
Authorities in Malaysia and Indonesia have already banned Grok over explicit content, while regulators in Europe and the United Kingdom have announced investigations or demanded formal explanations from the company.
Despite these actions, activists say the response from X and its parent company has been inadequate. X did not respond to requests for comment on the letters, while xAI, the company that develops and operates Grok, issued an automated response stating, “Legacy Media Lies.” Apple and Google also did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
X has made adjustments to Grok’s behaviour, including preventing images generated or edited by the chatbot from being automatically posted to the public timeline. However, concerns persist. A Reuters test of Grok conducted on Tuesday found that the chatbot was still capable of generating altered images, including bikini-clad versions of people’s photographs, when prompted.
Activists argue that these measures fall short and do not address the core issue of content generation itself.
Beyond calls for app store removal, some organisations are distancing themselves from X entirely. On Tuesday, the American Federation of Teachers announced it was leaving the platform, citing concerns over indecent images of children produced by Grok.
Sherman said the moment represents a test of Apple’s and Google’s stated principles.
“Both companies say they take child protection seriously,” she said. “How they handle X and Grok will show what their values actually are in practice.”
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