U.S. Senators Ask Apple and Google to Remove X and Grok Apps Over Sexualized Image Generation

[jarman92]

Shameless attempt by Democrat senators to silence the one platform that actually allows both sides to express their opinions.

I didn't realize that MAGA considered "generating kiddie porn and shoving it in everyone's faces is good" an acceptable "opinion." But you do all staunchly support a guy who repeatedly flew to Epstein's island and slept with underage girls, sooooo...

Also, it's Democratic senators.

Grok is a separate service and app that can be used through X, but not the same app.

Wow, great argument. 🙄

 

[jarman92]

In my opinion, it's all politics. If it was a bi-partisan request, I might feel differently.

Do you think "kiddie porn is bad and shouldn't be allowed on social media" is a partisan position?

 

[turbineseaplane]

There is a phrase from Skyfall (Bond movie in 2012) that comes to mind here.

If you are defending anything about this:

 

[BGrifter]

If it were any other company, Apple wouldn’t need to be asked. But it’s a large company backed by a very rich man, so it gets to slide where anyone else would have been booted already.

Speaks volumes that Apple is more afraid of a rich man than being associated with the industrial-scale manufacture of child porn.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I genuinely wonder how anyone could rationalize or defend such a detestable use of this technology or a platform that harbors it.

It shouldn't matter who it is - if they're creating and distributing abuse material they should be shut down without question.

 

[cmChimera]

That's a strawman here.

The point is that Apple has rules for their store and they need to enforce them.

If they don't, everything else they say on these topics is absolutely rubbish.

If people want to do engage with awful stuff, sourced from wherever they want, that's up to them.

Apple shouldn't be HOSTING & distributing the Apps!!

Guys - this is not hard.

Again, I agree with the sentiment that Apple either police this or it lacks any credibility in saying that they're protecting users.

I just don't agree with the alternative solution that we just leave it to no one.

 

[turbineseaplane]

To think that Apple wanted to scan all of our content to root out CSAM ... and now they are hosting and distributing an App that lets users CREATE CSAM.

I mean ... this is just shocking to see anyone defending anything about this.

 

[jarman92]

I agree that Apple should act on this, but Congress isn't acting either, so getting rid of the walled garden would probably just make the problem worse, not better.

OP meant that Apple's defense of its walled garden is BS—it claims that App Store review is necessary to protect against scams and objectionable material, but it takes no action on apps that actively promote and spread CSAM.

 

[cmChimera]

In my opinion, it's all politics. If it was a bi-partisan request, I might feel differently.

Interesting that you have no opinion then unless some Republican tells you what it is.

 

[Entilzha]

“Hey Grok, put these senators in bikinis.”

 

[cmChimera]

OP meant that Apple's defense of its walled garden is BS—it claims that App Store review is necessary to protect against scams and objectionable material, but it takes no action on apps that actively promote and spread CSAM.

Yep yep. I think I agree with that, at least in this instance.

 

[Deacon-Blues]

I didn't realize that MAGA considered "generating kiddie porn and shoving it in everyone's faces is good" an acceptable "opinion." But you do all staunchly support a guy who repeatedly flew to Epstein's island and slept with underage girls, sooooo...

Also, it's Democratic senators.



Wow, great argument. 🙄

You missed this part; “But if Grok is producing such content, it needs to be corrected immediately.”
But you knew that.

And actually, it is Democrat senators, not Democratic.

 

[Plutonius]

Do you think "kiddie porn is bad and shouldn't be allowed on social media" is a partisan position?

I'm saying that I believe the reasons the Senators are making the request is generally political in nature.

 

[jarman92]

That's a strawman here.

The point is that Apple has rules for their store and they need to enforce them.

If they don't, everything else they say on these topics is absolutely rubbish.

If people want to do engage with awful stuff, sourced from wherever they want, that's up to them.

Apple shouldn't be HOSTING & distributing the Apps!!

Guys - this is not hard.

This has also been going on for years—I've reported probably a dozen apps that are blatant scams—like immediately obvious just from looking at the app description—and not a single one has ever been taken down. It literally takes a Verge or Daring Fireball article to convince Apple to take any action.

 

[turbineseaplane]

It doesn't matter if Satan himself were bringing this issue up.

The issue is important and needs to be dealt with by Apple (and Google).

Stop succumbing to political partisanship framing on everything.

 

[jarman92]

I'm saying that I believe the reasons the Senators are making the request is generally political in nature.

Everything politicians do is "political in nature." That says nothing about the underlying merits of the request, which are inarguably correct and moral and nonpartisan.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Even if you like and use X.

How could anyone think it's ok to have CSAM being generated on demand in the App?

 

[Chazak]

Of course, corrupt government officials don't want any light to shine through X. Safari and the web in general are far worse. But that does not retaliate agains DOGE findings. Hopefully American's will see this for what it really is.

I am reasonably intelligent and not a word of that makes any sense.

 

[jarman92]

You missed this part; “But if Grok is producing such content, it needs to be corrected immediately.”
But you knew that.

"It needs to be corrected," except it can easily be corrected and it's still going on, despite days of stories and public pressure. Words are cheap.

And actually, it is Democrat senators, not Democratic.

No, it absolutely, inarguably is not. The party is the "Democratic Party" and Senators belonging to the party are "Democratic Senators." Just like it's the "Republican Party" and "Republican Senators."

 

[Chazak]

Shameless attempt by Democrat senators to silence the one platform that actually allows both sides to express their opinions. X is not Grok, and Grok is not X. And they know that. Grok is a separate service and app that can be used through X, but not the same app. But if Grok is producing such content, it needs to be corrected immediately.

People should not inject political motives into this. Doing so would be very misguided and not a well thought out strategy.

 

[RogueWarrior65]

That's a bull crap excuse. They don't like X because they don't control it.

 

[jarman92]

That's a bull crap excuse. They don't like X because they don't control it.

So you support generating and distributing child pornography?

 

[bruinsrme]

The regular people who are being stripped naked and plastered all over the internet. And the regular people who are having child sexual abuse material shoved in their faces while reading about sports or whatever on X.

Are regular people creating the questionable content?
I’m not condoning any of this. Looking at it seems to be a progression. Photoshop has created a lot of questionable material. Now, AI has taken over the workflow once done by regular people.

 

[zenmacx]

While it isn't obvious in some instances, there's a powerful business component to this disgusting situation.

In addition it is possible, but not easy, to set aside politics and focus purely on eliminating the creation and display of this objectionable material.

Getting the powers to be in alignment and agree to clean up the problem, is the true challenge. If it was easy it would have been done by now, but the almighty dollar is standing in the way.

 

[Ursadorable]

Don't forget to shutdown Adobe as well for allowing users to create deepfakes with Photoshop.