Musk’s Grok Limits Image Generation After Deepfake Backlash

The restrictions apply to non-paying users accessing the service via Musk’s social media platform X.

Since Friday, free users attempting to generate or edit images receive the message: “Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers. You can subscribe to unlock these features.” Premium subscribers with blue checkmarks, paying $8 a month, can still use the feature. Early reports suggest a noticeable decline in explicit deepfakes being produced.

Authorities in Europe, however, have criticized the move as insufficient. Thomas Regnier of the EU Commission said, “Paid subscription or non-paid subscription, we don’t want to see such images.” The U.K. government also denounced the change, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office calling it “insulting to victims of misogyny and sexual violence” and promising potential action. France, Malaysia, India, and Brazil have also scrutinized the platform.

Grok, launched in 2023, added an image-generation feature called Grok Imagine last summer, including a “spicy mode” capable of adult content. Experts warn the problem is worsened by Musk’s positioning of Grok as an edgier alternative to other chatbots and the public visibility of generated images, which allows rapid distribution.

The European Commission has ordered X to retain all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026 as part of an ongoing investigation under the EU’s digital safety law.

Despite the restrictions, the tool remains accessible to paying subscribers, but the global backlash underscores growing concerns over AI-generated sexual content and regulatory oversight, reports UNB.