Millions of Sexualized Images on X in Days, New Estimates Suggest

February 2, 2026

New York Times reporting describes a surge of sexually explicit content tied to an automated process on X over a nine-day period, with a conservative figure of about 1.8 million images depicting women. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CDH) offers a higher estimate, placing total uploads around 3 million and noting roughly 23,000 images involving children.

The increase slowed after X restricted certain features to paying subscribers on January 8, but did not stop entirely.

The Times’ coverage is titled Musk's Chatbot Flooded X With Millions of Sexualized Images in Days, New Estimates Show, and the article cites analysis included in that report.

NYT’s conservative figure: about 1.8 million sexualized images of women within nine days
CDH estimate: up to about 3 million total, including around 23,000 depicting minors
Slowdown after January 8, when X gated features for subscribers

Notes:

The figures come from investigative reporting and summarizations by The New York Times and the Center for Countering Digital Hate, reflecting ongoing concerns about automated and non-consensual content on social platforms.

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