Apple and Google are facing scrutiny over their handling of the controversy surrounding X’s AI chatbot, which has been accused of generating inappropriate and potentially illegal depictions of women and children without consent.
U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Lujan, and Ed Markey have called on Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai to address the issue. The lawmakers expressed concerns that the chatbot has been used to create images that undress or sexualize minors, which they say violates the app stores’ terms of service.
Google’s policies explicitly prohibit content that could facilitate the exploitation or abuse of children, while Apple restricts apps deemed offensive or creepy. However, both tech giants have yet to confirm if X’s chatbot complies with these policies or if the app will be removed.
Failure to address the situation could undermine the companies’ control over their app stores, as they have previously removed other apps like ICEBlock and Red Dot following government pressure, even though those apps did not host harmful or illegal content.
Source: The Verge