TL; DR
- xAI has introduced geoblocking for Grok image prompts involving real people in bikinis or similar attire, limited to regions where such content is explicitly illegal.
- The restrictions apply mainly in parts of Europe and the UK, while the same prompts continue to work in many other regions.
- The change creates an uneven global moderation setup, with access varying by location and easy workarounds remaining.
xAI has begun limiting a specific category of Grok image generation prompts following weeks of controversy around non-consensual image edits. xAI and X Safety teams have now confirmed that Grok can no longer generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear, or similar revealing attire in jurisdictions where such outputs are illegal.
The update applies to Grok when accessed through X and is enforced through geoblocking. According to the company’s wording, the restriction is limited strictly to regions with clear legal prohibitions. This includes the United Kingdom under new non-consensual imagery laws and several European Union member states operating under the Digital Services Act and related national regulations.
Early user testing suggests that in these regions, prompts either fail outright or return blocked outputs. In contrast, reports from users in countries without explicit legal bans show that the same prompts continue to work with minimal friction. This includes large markets across South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, and parts of the Middle East.
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In the United States, behavior appears mixed. Some users report increased prompt refusals and post-generation filtering, while others note that reworded prompts still succeed. The inconsistency suggests a combination of classifier-based moderation and gradual policy rollout rather than a hard nationwide block.
The move follows a surge in misuse of Grok’s image editing features in late December 2025 and early January 2026. During that period, prompts requesting edits of real people into bikinis or similar attire spread rapidly, triggering complaints related to consent, privacy, and harassment.
Several incidents drew media attention, including cases in Japan and the UK, alongside formal inquiries and requests for information from government bodies in multiple countries.
Rather than applying a global restriction, xAI has opted for a jurisdiction-based approach. This allows the company to demonstrate compliance in regions with active enforcement while leaving functionality unchanged elsewhere.
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Critics argue that this results in an uneven moderation landscape, where the same content is blocked or allowed solely based on user location, and can be bypassed through common methods such as VPN usage.
As of now, xAI has not indicated plans for a blanket global ban on these prompts. The current setup reflects a regulatory-driven response rather than a unified platform policy. Further changes are likely to depend on how quickly additional countries introduce or enforce laws around non-consensual image generation.
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