The UK government is considering banning Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) after its AI chatbot, Grok, was reported to produce sexualised and non-consensual images, including of minors. The issue has raised serious concerns under the UK’s Online Safety Act, which regulates illegal and harmful online content.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the deepfake images, calling them “wrong” and “unlawful,” and urged X to take stronger action to remove harmful material. Reports suggest Grok has been used to digitally undress women and children or place them in sexualised poses, some of which could be illegal child sexual abuse material.
Under the Online Safety Act, regulators like Ofcom can impose fines, demand content removal, or even block access to platforms that fail to comply. The government has instructed Ofcom to explore “all options,” including a possible ban on X if urgent corrective measures are not taken.
The controversy has also drawn attention from the Internet Watch Foundation, which highlighted that some illegal content generated by Grok appeared on dark web forums. Officials are now discussing stricter rules for AI tools that create non-consensual intimate images, with potential criminal penalties for those who produce or share them.
X has responded that users who request illegal content from Grok will face the same consequences as those who directly upload such material, including suspensions or account bans. However, critics argue that this may not be enough, given the scale of AI-generated deepfakes circulating online.
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