Mayo support for call to block Grok over nudified images

A MAYO councillor's call for ministerial action to block AI chatbot Grok for nudifying images of children and women has been supported in the council chamber.

Fine Gael Councillor Marie-Thérèse Duffy hit out at Elon Musk's X (formerly twitter) platform, saying Grok and similar apps should be blocked.

She raised the matter at the monthly council meeting following 'non-stop news coverage' about what is the most downloaded app in Ireland, which is allowing paid users to generate harmful content with a 'disturbing' nudification tool.

Users are targetting young children and women, she said, using the app to remove clothing from photos, with these deep fake images then being circulated.

It is normalising the nudification of children and women, said Councillor Duffy, who pointed out that it is illegal to share non-consensual intimate images in Ireland.

She commented that X is allowing misogyny and objectification and removing consent.

This, she said, is an example of one app, and others exist, and as a teacher she is 'very concerned'.

“We must take action to protect Irish children and women.”

The ongoing work of Mayo Deputy Keira Keogh and Minister Niamh Smyth on regulating harmful content was acknowledged.

But immediate action is required, locally and nationally, and they need to hold X accountable.

Malaysia and Indonesia have banned the app and Ireland also needs to ban the app, said Councillor Duffy.

Secondly, the people generating these images need to be held accountable.

They are choosing to nudify images of children and women and there needs to be repercussions for engaging in this, she said, adding that it as 'vile'.

We need a long-term strategy on the issue and the councillor called on Mayo County Council to write to Minister for Media Patrick O'Donovan urging him to block Grok in Ireland and any similar apps and develop a strategy to ensure these are all blocked in the future.

Seconding the call, Councillor Annie May Reape said it was 'disgraceful' and the local authority should lead the way in condemning it outright.

* Published under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme