Recently, as is well known, Elon Musk’s AI integrated also on X (the social network also owned by the South African entrepreneur) has worried dozens of companies, hundreds of associations, millions of users, and even multiple governments because it was left free to create sexual deepfakes – obviously at users’ request – even involving minors. What surprised observers was the fact that, while around the world various legislators intervened beginning to draft laws to curb the phenomenon, xAI shrugged it off. At least until the intervention of another US Big Tech company that managed to moderate Musk’s outspoken AI in a short time. Who acted and especially how?
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has opened a formal investigation into X over Grok “undressing people” on demand – including children – using AI. The inquiry covers four #GDPR pillars: principles of data processing, lawfulness of processing, privacy by design, and the…
— Lukasz Olejnik (@lukOlejnik) February 17, 2026
HAS APPLE MUZZLED GROK?
This was revealed by the American broadcaster NBC which was able to view a document in which Apple explained to US senators how it acted swiftly to push Grok (and those who hold its reins) to more moderate behavior. In truth, what was revealed had been unofficially circulating on the Web for several weeks, but the American outlet’s report is still important because it brings to light the underlying clash between Cupertino and Grok.
It is thus confirmed that there were continuous contacts between Apple and Grok’s software house (naturally also involving the managers of the X platform) in which, simply, Cupertino threatened to remove the applications from its App Store if countermeasures to eliminate the production of sexual deepfakes were not promptly implemented.
THE RISK OF LOSING THE iOS SHOWCASE
One might say it was blackmail. No, because Apple has contracts that all software houses must sign if they want to display their software on its showcase. A showcase that, being closely tied to the iOS world, represents a large portion of devices in circulation and is therefore fundamental for the distribution of apps.
The repeated sexual deepfakes by Grok would constitute real “violations of the guidelines” and this gave Apple on paper the possibility to press the fateful “red button” that would have expelled both the Artificial Intelligence and X from the App Store, causing incalculable damage to both of Musk’s companies.
THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES CONFRONTATION
The document viewed by NBC shows a prolonged underlying dialogue: “Thus – it reads regarding the reconstruction Apple provided to the US Senate – we rejected Grok and informed the developer that further changes would be necessary to remedy the violations, otherwise the app would be removed from the App Store. […] Following further changes made by the Grok developer, we found that Grok had substantially improved and therefore approved the latest version delivered to us.”
THE THREATS WORKED
At the same time, the companies linked to Elon Musk communicated to the rest of the world that they had implemented technological measures to prevent Grok from altering images of real people, that is, from removing their clothes, and especially announcing that the user who tries to violate the new behavioral rules imposed on the Artificial Intelligence will be held directly responsible.
