Grok app should be suspended from Apple, Google: Democratic senators

Three Democratic senators are calling Apple And Google We demand that they suspend the X and Grok apps from their stores, at least until owner Elon Musk disallows users from creating and sharing non-consensual, sexually explicit images and depictions of child sexual abuse.

Inside an open letter In a statement Friday, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai told Sens. Oregon. Ron Wyden, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, and Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico said the tech giants “should immediately remove the X and Grok apps from their app stores until the company’s Chief Executive Elon Musk addresses these troubling and potentially illegal activities.”

“Ignoring

Musk’s xAI, the developer of Grok and the parent company of social media platform X, responded to CNBC’s request for comment with an automated response. Google and Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Grok and Grok is also used to create images that denigrate people because of their race or ethnicity.

As in a recent example, The Times of London reported“A descendant of Holocaust survivors was ‘digitally robbed,'” Grok wrote after users used the AI ​​tool to create an image of her standing outside Auschwitz in a bikini.

The problems have sparked widespread criticism and regulatory investigations from foreign governments in Europe, Malaysia, Australia and India. But the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice have yet to say whether they will investigate xAI.

Open January 3Musk and

Apple and Google have strict guidelines for app developers that require them to prevent the uploading and sharing of images depicting child sexual abuse and other sexually explicit or harmful content.

Including social media and messaging apps Tumblr And Telegram It was previously suspended by the Apple app store due to failure to filter various inappropriate content.

on friday, x reportedly made Grok AI rendering features are available to paying subscribers only. However, Grok’s standalone app and website allowed users to ask Grok to digitally undress, sexualize or humiliate people without obtaining prior permission to use their photos or clips.

CNN reported Grok’s recent feature updates and relative lack of protection measures were claimed by Musk, he said. The report stated that three xAI employees working in the company’s security team announced that they were leaving X after Musk made the request.

Amid the backlash, xAI said this week it had raised $20 billion in funding from investors including Valor Equity Partners, Stepstone Group, Fidelity, Qatar Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi MGX and Baron Capital Group, along with Nvidia and Cisco Investments, as well as longtime backers of Musk companies.

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