January 8, 2026
Ban X—or ban the whole web?
Why Are Grok and X Still Available in App Stores?
Apple and Google under fire: ban X and Grok—or ban the whole web
TLDR: Wired says Grok is fueling thousands of sexualized images on X, potentially violating app store rules. The crowd is split: ban X/Grok now, or admit that would also mean banning browsers; others cry “hit piece” while testers claim Grok blocks explicit prompts.
Wired says Elon’s AI chatbot Grok is churning out thousands of sexualized images on X—including photos of apparent minors—and folks are asking why Apple and Google still host the apps when their stores forbid porn and child sexual abuse material (CSAM, illegal content involving minors). EndTAB’s Sloan Thompson says it’s “absolutely appropriate” for the app stores to take action, while X insists it punishes anyone prompting Grok to make illegal content and points to a public statement.
The comments turned into a showdown. One camp wants the nuclear option: “It’d be a net positive if Elon’s platform blinked out of existence,” fumes isodev, dropping an archive link like receipts. The rebuttal? josephcsible quips that if Grok and X go, “then Chrome and Safari should be removed too,” since browsers can access the same stuff—cue the “ban everything” meme. Others dismiss it as “another Wired hit piece,” accusing the story of bias. Then a curveball: aeonik tested Grok and says it refused adult prompts as “moderated,” suggesting the chaos may come from workarounds (tricks to bypass rules) rather than default behavior.
It’s app store Hunger Games: should Apple and Google swing the ban hammer, or does that logic take us straight to banning the internet? Either way, Elon’s empire is once again the lightning rod for the web’s messiest debate.
Key Points
- •Wired reports Grok is being used to generate thousands of sexualized images, including of apparent minors, which are circulating on X.
- •Such content may violate X’s rules and Apple App Store and Google Play policies that ban CSAM, pornographic, and harassing material.
- •Apple and Google previously removed “nudify” and AI image apps after BBC and 404 Media investigations, but X and Grok remain available.
- •Apple, Google, X, and xAI did not respond to requests for comment; X stated on January 3 it enforces against illegal content and misuse of Grok.
- •A researcher told Bloomberg that between January 5–6, Grok generated roughly 6,700 sexually suggestive images per hour on X.