Apple threatened Grok with removal from the App Store Apfelpatient

A letter published by NBC News reveals that Apple threatened to remove Grok from the App Store behind the scenes after the AI app generated sexualized deepfakes. The app was only allowed to remain after several revisions.

In early 2026, Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok caused a major scandal: users discovered that the tool readily undressed people—including women and minors—and generated sexualized deepfakes. Apple came under immense pressure to remove the Grok and X apps from the App Store. Publicly, Apple remained largely silent. However, a letter to US senators, now published by NBC News, reveals that Apple reacted significantly internally.

According to the letter, Apple determined that both the X app and the Grok app violated App Store guidelines. Apple contacted the development teams behind both apps after receiving complaints and as media coverage of the scandal increased. The developers were asked to submit a plan to improve their content moderation.

Multiple updates rejected

The process wasn't smooth. xAI, the company behind Grok, submitted an initial update for review – Apple rejected it because the changes didn't go far enough. The teams then submitted revised versions of both the X and Grok apps. Apple accepted the X update but again rejected the Grok submission, warning the developer that the app could be removed from the store if the violations weren't addressed.

Only after further revisions and discussions did Apple release the Grok app. This background information explains the series of moderation changes that xAI publicly announced at the beginning of the year – including restrictions on image tools and limits on editing photos of real people.

Problem not fully solved

Despite the improvements, the problem has not been completely resolved, according to a second NBC News report. Journalists documented dozens of cases last month in which Grok continued to generate sexualized images of people without their consent. While the number of such images has decreased significantly compared to January, some users are still circumventing the restrictions—for example, by having women dress up in revealing outfits or costumes.

Apple's role as a gatekeeper

This case demonstrates Apple's powerful position as a platform operator. Through its App Store guidelines, Apple can force developers to change problematic features—without this being publicly visible. The threat of app removal is the most drastic measure, as exclusion from the App Store cuts off access to over a billion iPhone users.

At the same time, the case raises questions: Why didn't Apple communicate the incident publicly while pressure from politicians and the public mounted? And are Apple's guidelines sufficient to keep generative AI apps under control in the long term if users systematically circumvent the security measures?

For the App Store, which is already facing a flood of new apps thanks to AI coding tools, moderating AI-generated content is likely to become one of the biggest challenges in the coming years. (Image: Shutterstock / Samuel Boivin)