Globally, there have been media reports of X’s Grok AI chatbot (Grok) being used to create and share sexualised images of real people, including children, which amounts to the non-consensual distribution of intimate imagery (NCII) as well as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This has resulted in various governments and online safety regulators around the world launching investigations to establish whether X has failed to comply with its legal obligations and, in some jurisdictions, led to Grok being banned from operating within the country. Despite its risks, it is still possible for X users in South Africa to, among others, use Grok to create and share NCII and CSAM.

On 10 January 2026, the Presidency made a statement condemning the use of Grok to manipulate images following the dissemination of NCII originating from Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s official X profile. However, despite the government’s knowledge of these persisting violations, no further action has apparently been taken.

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), currently rebranding to Moxii Africa, demands that immediate measures be taken to compel X to disable the “undressing” feature of Grok, and any other feature that allows users to create and share NCII and CSAM.