X Rolls Out Grok AI Image-Editing Block, but Critics Say It Is Easy to Bypass

In late 2025, X, formerly Twitter, allowed users to edit photos on the platform directly with xAI’s Grok. The feature was quickly abused to create nonconsensual sexualized deepfakes of women and children. Indonesia suspended Grok on January 10, 2026, and the United Kingdom’s Ofcom opened an investigation into X on January 12, highlighting risks involving image rights and platforms’ safety responsibilities.

Around March 10, 2026, X added a “Block Grok modifications” toggle to the image upload menu on iOS, allowing users to apply the setting to individual photos. Media tests found that the feature mainly prevents others from tagging Grok in replies to edit an image. Users could still edit protected photos after downloading or taking screenshots and reuploading them, or even by long-pressing them and opening them in the Grok app. Neither X nor xAI had formally announced the feature at the time.