UK enforces law criminalizing deepfake nudes as Ofcom launches formal investigation into Grok AI

UK pushes up a law criminalizing deepfake nudes in response to Grok

The UK is bringing a law into force that makes creating non-consensual intimate deepfake images, like the ones that have proliferated on X because of the Grok AI chatbot, a criminal offense, as reported by the BBC. "The Data Act, passed last year, made it a criminal offence to create - or request the creation of - non-consensual intimate images," according to a statement from Liz Kendall, the UK's Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology. "And today, I can announce to the House that this offence will be brought into force this week and that I will make it a priority offence in the Online Safety Act too." As a priority offense, "services have to take proactive action to stop this content from appearing in the first place." Ofcom, which regulates communications industries in the UK, announced earlier today that it is formally investigating X over Grok's deepfakes. Should Ofcom find X in violation of the Online Safety Act, it could require the platform to take certain steps to comply and impose fines of "up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater." "The government expects Ofcom to set out a timeline for the investigation as soon as possible," Kendall says. "The public - and most importantly, the victims of Grok's activities - expect swift and decisive action. So this must not take months and months." xAI didn't immediately reply to a request for comment. On January 3rd, X said, "We take action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary. Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content." Last week, X also placed some limits on the ability to generate an image using Grok, making tagging the chatbot in a reply to generate an image publicly a feature just for paying subscribers. However, The Verge found there were still free ways to use Grok to edit and create images, including sexualized ones.

Grok targeted in UK law over sexually-explicit AI image generation -- UK will begin prosecuting illegal prompting this week

The British government has just announced it will criminalize creating non-consensual AI-generated images from this week, calling them "weapons of abuse." Sharing deepfakes is already illegal in the UK, but the law to enforce prosecution against those creating/requesting them will go into effect just now. This decision comes on the heels of Grok dishing out sexually explicit imagery of minors on X. "The Data (Use and Access) Act passed last year made it a criminal offence to create or request the creation of non-consensual intimate images, and today I can announce to the House that this offence will be brought into force this week." -- Liz Kendall, Technology Secretary. Over the past few weeks, the failing guardrails of Elon Musk's AI chatbot have sparked global outrage, prompting the UK's communication watchdog, Ofcom, to launch a formal investigation into the matter. If found guilty, Ofcom holds the power to severely fine Grok -- up to 10% of applicable global revenue -- along with a court-approved outright ban of the service. Indonesia and Malaysia have already blocked Grok access in their respective regions, while Musk has criticized Downing Street's intense reaction as fascist and accused the government of censorship, something that Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney also agrees with. Conversely, Liz Kendall has said, "The content which has circulated on X is vile. It's not just an affront to decent society, it is illegal." Musk added the ability to generate images using artificial intelligence to Grok last year. While the dedicated Grok app allows you to take these operations private, it's the public-facing image manipulation on X that has lit the fire. Any image uploaded on the platform can be turned explicit with just a simple @Grok request, with the AI chatbot replying with the edited image right there. Such invasion of privacy would already make heads turn, but it was the fact that Grok failed to even distinguish between adult and children that crossed the line, and freely generated intimate content featuring minors on X. Most recently, a picture of a then 13-year-old Stranger Things actor was tweaked to show them in bikini, pushing the service into criminal territory. "Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content," said Elon Musk a few days ago, adding that unlawful imagery is taken down immediately in accordance with local authorities. Grok was also pushed behind a paywall with only X Premium subscribers being able to access the service. Targeting the problem "at its source" shows that both apps and the individuals using them will be held accountable, and that it's a "priority offence" in the Online Safety Act. For now, X and Grok remain up until Ofcom presents its findings. Musk is free to come forward and change policies in the meantime, before a verdict is reached, to potentially ease the regulator's scrutiny.

Ofcom officially investigating X over Grok nudification

Tech minister Liz Kendall says the government will back a robust regulatory response Ofcom is investigating X over potential violations of the Online Safety Act, Britian's comms watchdog has confirmed. The probe follows heavy pressure from politicians for the regulator to take action after a period of heightened scrutiny of its AI chatbot, Grok, generating sexualized images without the consent of users, mainly women. Announcing the investigation, Ofcom said on Monday: "There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people - which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography - and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material (CSAM). "As the UK's independent online safety watchdog, we urgently made contact with X on Monday, January 5, and set a firm deadline of Friday, January 9, for it to explain what steps it has taken to comply with its duties to protect its users in the UK. "The company responded by the deadline, and we carried out an expedited assessment of available evidence as a matter of urgency." Ofcom did not offer any details about the nature of X's response, but the regulator is understood to have sought urgent clarification from xAI about how it plans to protect UK users. The formal review will assess whether X understands the risk of UK users - including children - seeing illegal content on the platform, whether it has taken the appropriate steps to prevent access to illegal content, and its efforts to remove illegal content once posted. Offenses under the Online Safety Act can be punished with fines of up to £18 million ($24 million) or 10 percent of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is higher. The most serious offenders may also be subjected to business disruption measures, which would see a UK court compel payment providers and advertisers to cease their trading relationships with a given organization. An Ofcom spokesperson said: "Platforms must protect people in the UK from content that's illegal in the UK, and we won't hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there's a risk of harm to children. "We'll progress this investigation as a matter of the highest priority, while ensuring we follow due process. As the UK's independent online safety enforcement agency, it's important we make sure our investigations are legally robust and fairly decided." Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, said in a statement today that she welcomes Ofcom's decision to invesitgate X, which needs to conclude "swiftly" on behalf of victims and the general public. "The content created and shared using Grok in recent days has been deeply disturbing and I will be updating Parliament later today on the government's response." Despite the controversies around Grok and its capability to digitally undress people surfacing months ago, discussions of the issue reached a fever pitch last week as UK authorities started looking seriously at X. On Friday, Members of Parliament pressed the UK government for answers as to why it has not penalized X over the Grok nudification furor. In letters to to tech minister Liz Kendall and Ofcom CEO Melanie Dawes, Dame Chi Onwurah, chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, said Grok's non-consensual sexualized deepfakes were "extremely alarming." Dame Onwurah pointed to legislative gaps that, at present, seemingly allow these nudification tools to operate unchecked. Passed in July 2025, the Data Use and Access Act includes a provision to ban the creation of deepfake imagery, although it is not yet in force, as secondary legislation must be passed. Similarly, the Online Safety Act makes intimate image abuse a criminal offense, but it does not specifically legislate against AI-generated intimate imagery, provided that it is not shared. These legislative gaps aside, there are provisions in UK law that ban the kinds of content Grok was generating. For example, the Sexual Offences Act makes it illegal to share non-consensual intimate images or CSAM, and this section of law was inserted into the Online Safety Act. The majority of Dame Onwurah's questions were leveled at Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator. She asked [PDF] Dawes why the regulator has only now made urgent contact with xAI, X's AI arm, instead of beginning an immediate investigation when reports of Grok's abuse began circulating months ago. Ofcom did not address these questions head-on in its announcement today. Additionally, Ofcom is expected to explain its views on other related matters, such as X limiting Grok's image functionality to paid users only, whether the regulator feels equipped to enforce penalties under existing laws, and what kinds of talks it has held with X thus far. The committee chair simply asked [PDF] Kendall when the government will ban nudification tools, and what it is doing to track the AI harms that aren't covered by existing legislation. "Reports that xAI's Grok has been used to create non-consensual sexualised deepfakes on X are extremely alarming," said Dame Onwurah. "My committee warned last year that the Online Safety Act was riddled with gaps - including its failure to explicitly regulate generative AI. Recent reports about these deepfakes show, in stark terms, how UK citizens have been left exposed to online harms while social media companies operate with apparent impunity. "I've written to both the government and Ofcom seeking urgent clarity on how they will tackle the rapid rise of these AI-generated intimate deepfakes. We need transparency on Ofcom's conversations with xAI and a clear explanation of whether it has the powers to take effective enforcement action. The government must also set out when it will finally introduce the promised ban on nudification tools and take the steps needed to protect women and children online." Kendall issued a statement on Friday, unconnected to Dame Onwurah's letter, denouncing Grok's nudification functionality, calling on Ofcom to exercise the full legal powers given to it. She also confirmed that the government is "in the coming weeks" implementing new powers that will criminalize the creation of non-consensual intimate images, and the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently in the process of becoming law, includes a ban on nudification tools. Kendall pointed to Ofcom's guidance on preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG), published in November, saying she expects all platforms to abide by the principles as set out in that document [PDF]. The regulator's VAWG guidance technically applies to all platforms in scope of the Online Safety Act, and mandates that special action must be taken to detect harmful activity and support those at risk. Punishments can range from having to ban users to full regulatory enforcement action. Kendall's statement also rejected X's decision to restrict Grok's image-generation functionality to paid users only - an apparent effort to limit the abuse of Grok by the masses. "Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent," she said. "It is an insult and totally unacceptable for Grok to still allow this if you're willing to pay for it. "I would remind xAI that the Online Safety Act includes the power to block services from being accessed in the UK, if they refuse to comply with UK law. If Ofcom decides to use those powers, they will have our full support." However unlikely an outright ban on X may be, it would not be unprecedented. In recent days, the governments of Malaysia and Indonesia both blocked public access to the social media platform over Grok's nudifying issues. Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Commission said X failed to address the problem, while Indonesia's minister of communications and digital affairs, Meutya Hafid, described Grok's deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights and dignity. ®

UK PM Starmer says X moves to comply with UK law over AI deepfakes

LONDON, Jan 14 - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that Elon Musk's X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law after the country's media regulator launched a probe into the platform over sexualised imagery produced by the Grok AI chatbot. "I have been informed this morning that X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law," Starmer told parliament, adding that the government would take further measures if needed. Ofcom launched an investigation into the social media platform on Monday over concerns Grok was creating sexually intimate deepfake images in violation of its duty to protect people in the UK from illegal content. Technology minister Liz Kendall said a new law making it an offence to create sexual deepfakes would come into force this week to tackle the images, which she called "weapons of abuse". X did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It said earlier in January that it has restricted requests to undress people in images to paying users. Reporting by Muvija M, writing by Sam Tabahriti; editing by Sarah Young Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

UK regulator Ofcom opens a formal investigation into X over CSAM scandal

The UK's media regulator has opened a formal investigation into X under the Online Safety Act. "There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people -- which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography -- and sexualized images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material (CSAM)," Ofcom said. The investigation will focus on whether X has "has complied with its duties to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal in the UK." That includes whether X is taking appropriate measures to prevent UK users from seeing "priority" illegal content, such as CSAM and non-consensual intimate images; if the platform is removing illegal content quickly after becoming aware of it; and whether X carried out an updated risk assessment before making "any significant changes" to the platform. The probe will also consider whether X assessed the risk that its platform poses to UK children and if it has "highly effective age assurance to protect UK children from seeing pornography." The regulator said it contacted X on January 5 and received a response by its January 9 deadline. Ofcom is conducting an "expedited assessment of available evidence as a matter of urgency" and added that it has asked xAI for "urgent clarification" on the steps the company is taking to protect UK users. "Reports of Grok being used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X have been deeply concerning," an Ofcom spokesperson said. "Platforms must protect people in the UK from content that's illegal in the UK, and we won't hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there's a risk of harm to children. We'll progress this investigation as a matter of the highest priority, while ensuring we follow due process. As the UK's independent online safety enforcement agency, it's important we make sure our investigations are legally robust and fairly decided." If Ofcom deems that a company has broken the law, it can "require platforms to take specific steps to come into compliance or to remedy harm caused by the breach." The regulator can additionally impose fines of up to £18 million ($24.3 million) or 10 percent of "qualifying" worldwide revenue, whichever of the two figures is higher. It can also seek a court order to stop payment providers or advertisers from working with a platform, or to require internet service providers to block a site in the UK. The UK government has said it would back any action that Ofcom takes against X. Reports over the weekend suggested that the UK had held discussions with allies over a coordinated response to Grok-generated deepfakes. Regulators elsewhere, including in India and the European Union, are also investigating X. Last week, the Grok account on X started telling users that its image generation and editing tools were being limited to paying subscribers. But as of Monday it was still possible for non-paying users to generate images through the Grok tab on the X website and app. Meanwhile, Malaysia and Indonesia became the first countries to block Grok, claiming that X's chatbot does not have sufficient safeguards in place to prevent explicit AI-generated deepfakes of women and children from being created and disseminated on X. Indonesia temporarily blocked access to Grok on Saturday, as did Malaysia on Sunday, the Associated Press reports. "The government sees non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity and the safety of citizens in the digital space," Indonesia's Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement. Officials in the country said initial findings showed that Grok lacks effective controls to prevent users from creating and sharing sexually explicit deepfakes based on photos of Indonesian residents. The country's director general of digital space supervision, Alexander Sabar, said generating deepfakes can violate individuals' image and privacy rights when photos are shared or manipulated without consent, adding that they can lead to reputational, social and psychological harm. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission cited "repeated misuse" of Grok to generate explicit and non-consensual deepfakes, some of which involved women and children. The regulator said Grok will remain blocked in the country until X Corp and parent xAI establish strong enough safeguards.

Starmer says he's been told X now complying with UK law over Grok deepfakes

The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he has been informed that Elon Musk's X is "acting to ensure full compliance with UK law" over sexualised deepfakes produced by its AI tool, Grok. There has been a fierce backlash to the images made using Grok and widely shared on X. Women whose images have been digitally undressed using the tool have told the BBC the experience has been humiliating and dehumanising. It prompted the regulator Ofcom to launch an investigation on Monday with the prime minister warning X could lose the right to self regulate. The BBC has approached X for comment. It has previously pointed to a statement posted by its Safety account: "Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content." Responding to a question from Labour MP Emily Darlington during prime minister's questions, Sir Keir repeated his condemnation of Grok as "disgusting" and said Ofcom had ministers' full backing to act if X did not. He said: "To update the House, I have been informed this morning that X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law. "If so, that is welcome, but we're not going to back down, and they must act. "We will take the necessary measures. We will strengthen existing laws and prepare for legislation if it needs to go further, and Ofcom will continue its independent investigation." This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Elon Musk's X Under UK Investigation Over Grok's Sexualized A.I. Images

British authorities on Monday announced an investigation into X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, over the spread of artificially generated sexual images of women and children. Ofcom, the British regulator with oversight of online platforms, said it had started a formal inquiry to consider whether X had violated a law that aims to stop the spread in Britain of "priority" illegal content, including nonconsensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material. Sexually explicit images generated by Grok, Mr. Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot, have flooded X in recent weeks. In response to simple user prompts on X, the chatbot automatically created and publicly posted manipulated photos of real people, including children, in skimpy clothing and in sexually provocative situations. Many women who have been subjects of the Grok-generated sexualized images have reacted with horror and called on Mr. Musk to remove features that allow such activity. Ofcom said in a statement that "platforms must protect people in the U.K. from content that's illegal in the U.K., and we won't hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there's a risk of harm to children." The regulator did not set a firm timeline for the investigation but said it was a matter of the "highest priority." X could face fines up to 18 million pounds ($24 million), or 10 percent of its worldwide revenue, whichever is higher. If X is found to have broken the law and refuses to comply with Ofcom's requests for action, the regulator has the power, if necessary, to seek a court order that would prevent payment providers and advertisers from working with X. It could also, in cases where a court finds "significant harm" to individuals, require internet service providers to block access to the platform altogether inside the country. Ofcom said it had been in communication with xAI, the parent company that controls X and Grok, to understand the steps it is taking to protect users in Britain. Last week, X reacted to the growing outrage over the images by announcing that only paying customers would be able to use Grok's image-making tool. A spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain said the change was "insulting" to victims of misogyny and sexual violence. It "simply turns an A.I. feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service," he added. Mr. Musk has claimed the controversy over the images is a pretext for governments to attack "free speech." He recently posted an A.I.-generated image of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a bikini. "Why is the U.K. government so fascist?" Mr. Musk wrote on X on Jan. 10. He has also boasted that the controversy has led to more downloads of the app. Mr. Musk and X could not be reached for comment. Mr. Musk's social media platform has seen its business deteriorate in Britain. Last week, the company disclosed that annual revenue in 2024 fell 58 percent to 28.9 million pounds, while gross profit slumped to £1.1 million, from £13.5 million. The company attributed the slide to a drop in advertising sales because businesses have "concerns about brand safety, reputation and/or content moderation." Over the weekend, Indonesia and Malaysia became the first two countries to ban Grok, blocking access to the application in their countries. Authorities in the European Union, France, Brazil and elsewhere have also said they are reviewing X over the spread of sexual images of people without their consent. The growing uproar risks creating wider geopolitical tension. President Trump and other administration officials have defended Mr. Musk against other attempts in Europe to regulate X, calling it an attack on free speech.

Grok's Sexual Deepfakes Will Become Illegal in the UK This Week

The UK government will begin enforcing a law that prohibits the non-consensual creation of sexual pictures and videos, according to technology secretary Liz Kendall. The announcement comes after UK regulators announced they were launching an investigation into xAI's Grok AI chatbot, which has been used in recent weeks to create sexualized imagery of children as well as adults who never consented to having their images used in that way. "The content which has circulated on X is vile. It's not just an affront to decent society. It is illegal," technology secretary Liz Kendall told Parliament on Monday. Kendall noted that xAI had limited some deepfake features from Grok to paying subscribers, which she described as insulting to victims and a way of "monetizing abuse." Under the UK's Data Act, which passed last year, it's illegal to create or request the creation of intimate images without someone's consent. That law will start to be enforced this week, according to Kendall. X users started regularly harassing women and girls on the app at the end of December, prompting Grok to turn photos into sexualized imagery. Most commonly, Grok would turn real photos into AI-generated bikini images, but other tactics involved telling Grok to dress people in nothing but tape, turning the person around in sexual positions, or adding a "donut glaze," a method of making it appear like the women and girls were covered in ejaculate. "The Internet Watch Foundation reports criminal imagery of children as young as 11, including girls sexualized and topless. This is child sexual abuse," Kendall said Monday. "We've seen reports of photos being shared of women in bikinis, tied up and gagged with bruises covered in blood and much, much more. Lives can and have been devastated by this content, which is designed to harass, torment and violate people's dignity." Kendall called the images "weapons of abuse disproportionately aimed at women and girls" and stressed that it's not just individual users who should be held accountable, but the companies that make tools like Grok, which includes Elon Musk's xAI. Musk has previously tried to deflect blame to users, though most major AI companies try to minimize this kind of thing with guardrails built into the product itself. Ofcom, a British regulator with the power to oversee social media platforms, announced earlier Monday that it has opened an investigation into Grok. Other countries have responded as well, with Malaysia and Indonesia announcing total bans on Grok over the controversy. The EU Commission has also said that it is investigating the behavior of Grok and the people behind the AI chatbot. "I am appalled that a tech platform is enabling users to digitally undress women and children online. This is unthinkable behavior. And the harm caused by these deepfakes is very real," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, according to Politico. "We will not be outsourcing child protection and consent to Silicon Valley. If they don't act, we will," she continued. President Donald Trump and his government have complained that Europe has been too restrictive when it comes to policing speech on social media platforms. The U.S. State Department, led by Secretary of State Marc Rubio, imposed sanctions last month on employees at European organizations that fight disinformation. The State Department said they were engaging in "censorship." When Elon Musk bought Twitter (now X) in late 2022, he welcomed back previously banned far-right extremists in an attempt to steer the tenor of discussion online and prove that he could sustain a social media platform despite the presence of hate speech. And now it seems like Musk is trying to do the same thing with an even more controversial topic: child sexual abuse material created with artificial intelligence tools. After a right-wing creator shared a screenshot in 2023 from one of the most infamous child sexual abuse videos in history, Musk reinstated the creator after a brief ban. When legislators in Australia later asked about the incident, including Musk's personal intervention, a Twitter executive responded that maybe the creator was sharing the illegal imagery out of outrage over child abuse. The Australian legislators weren't buying that explanation, but the platform was allowed to continue operating in the country anyway. Ashley St. Clair, a conservative children's book author who is the mother of one of Musk's children, has complained on X about her images being turned into sexualized imagery, including a photo from when she was a child. That prompted her account to be stripped of its blue verification checkmark and all monetization on the platform, according to screenshots she posted to X. St. Clair also renounced her previous anti-trans beliefs, something that prompted Musk to tweet Monday that he would be seeking sole custody of their child. Musk has at least fourteen different children with four different women. The U.S. government under Trump is unlikely to crack down on the creation of child sexual abuse material, though Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, told Gizmodo last week that AI isn't afforded protections under Section 230. Wyden suggested that states start holding platforms like X to account if the federal government won't. X, which is technically owned by xAI, didn't respond to questions emailed on Monday. xAI responded with "Legacy Media Lies," an auto-responder to journalists that's been set up for some time.

UK regulator launches investigation into X over Grok sexualised imagery

LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Britain's media regulator launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X on Monday to determine whether allowing its Grok AI chatbot to produce sexually intimate deepfakes violated its duty to protect people in the UK from content that could be illegal. "There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people - which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography - and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material," Ofcom said in a statement. If Ofcom finds that X has broken the law, it can make it take steps to come into compliance, and if it does not it can fine it up to 10% of its qualifying worldwide revenue. Reporting by Sam Tabahriti, writing by William James; Editing by Kate Holton Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Opinion | Grok's 'weapons of abuse'

Elon Musk shares an AI prompt-created image, made by his Grok app, of himself in a bikini. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) The United Kingdom will make the creation of "non-consensual intimate images" illegal this week, responding directly to sexualized and violent imagery being generated by Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok. U.K. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall called the images, which depict real women and girls, "weapons of abuse." On Monday, the government's media regulator also launched an investigation into social media platform X, where many of these images are being created and shared.

Grok AI deepfake victim says UK government should have acted faster

A Welsh presenter has said quicker action by the UK government could have prevented further victims of deepfake sexual images created by Grok AI. Explicit images of Jess Davies were created using the chatbot and shared without her consent when the software was freely available to over half a billion users on X. Davies has accused X owner Elon Musk of "monetising image abuse" after the platform said last week only paying users can now access Grok AI's image function via its site. The UK government said a new law will be brought into force this week to make such images created by AI illegal, despite legislation being ready since June 2025, after it was made a "priority offence".

'No company can stop nude AI images - but we're the only ones being honest about it' -- British AI rival to ChatGPT bans under-18s and refuses image generation over safety concerns

The UK regulator Ofcom is now launching an investigation into Grok Images As the controversy around Elon Musk's Grok AI platform and its ability to create sexualized images of women and children continues, James Drayson, CEO of Locai Labs - the British rival to ChatGPT - has declared that no AI image generator can ever be truly safe, and has urged the industry to be honest about the dangers. Speaking ahead of an appearance before MPs examining human rights and the regulation of AI, Drayson urged action and challenged the government to back British innovation. He said, "[The] industry needs to wake up. It's impossible for any AI company to promise their model can't be tricked into creating harmful content, including explicit images. These systems are clever, but they're not foolproof. The public deserves honesty." In response to the current situation, Locai has refused to roll out image generation until it's "truly safe". It has also banned under-18s from accessing its AI chatbot, and is calling for radical transparency across the industry. It should be noted that the platform had not previously implemented image generation features. Grok's image-editing feature, called Grok Images, allows users to upload photos and then use well-known tricks to prompt the AI to remove clothes or put people in bikinis, including non-consensual edits of everyday individuals, public figures, and children. The situation has already led to Grok being banned in Indonesia and Malaysia, with a further ban now being considered by UK regulator Ofcom. Ofcom has today launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X. In a statement, the UK watchdog said there had been "deeply concerning reports" of the chatbot being used to create and share undressed images of people, as well as "sexualized images of children." The UK's Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, has previously said she would back regulator Ofcom if it blocks UK access to X - previously known as Twitter and now the home of Grok - for failing to comply with online safety laws. Elon Musk responded to the threat from the UK government on X by saying, "They want any excuse for censorship." In response to the controversy, the Grok Images feature has been restricted to paying subscribers only, a move that has not satisfied the UK government. A spokesperson for Downing Street said, "The move simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service." The UK Parliament's Human Rights Committee is currently probing the risks and benefits of AI, how it might impact privacy and discrimination, and whether current UK laws and policies are sufficient or if new legislation is needed to hold AI companies and developers accountable. James Drayson added: "We believe the UK can lead the world in responsible, values-driven AI if we choose to. That means tough regulation, open debate, and a commitment to transparency. AI is here to stay. The challenge is to make it as safe, fair, and trustworthy as possible, so that its rewards far outweigh its risks."

U.K. watchdog investigating X over Grok's sexualized AI images

Why it matters: The U.K.'s probe adds to mounting global scrutiny of Elon Musk's X, which hasn't been able to keep up with the images its chatbot is putting out. Driving the news: Media watchdog Ofcom, which is responsible for enforcing the U.K.'s Online Safety Act, announced the formal inquiry on Monday. * X's Grok chatbot has responded to user requests for sexualized images of people of all ages for weeks, and the content continues to circulate despite the company saying it is working to take down violative images. * Malaysia and India have blocked X after the proliferation of AI deepfakes, per NPR. What they're saying: "There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people - which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography - and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material (CSAM)," the announcement states. * X did not immediately respond to a request for comment. What's next: Ofcom says that its formal investigation will establish whether X has failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act.

Ofcom investigating Elon Musk's X after outcry over sexualised AI images

Media regulator investigating site under Online Safety Act, with a de facto ban among possible punishments The UK media watchdog has opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's X over the use of the Grok AI tool to manipulate images of women and remove their clothes. Ofcom has acted following a public and political outcry over a deluge of sexual images appearing on the platform, created by Musk's Grok, which is integrated with X. The regulator is investigating X under the Online Safety Act, which carries a range of possible punishments for breaches, including a de facto UK ban of apps and websites for the most serious abuses. "We have decided to open a formal investigation to establish whether X has failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act," said Ofcom.

U.K. investigation into X over AI deepfakes risks igniting a US-Europe free speech battle | Fortune

On Monday, the U.K.'s online safety regulator Ofcom announced it had opened a formal investigation into the platform over the rise of sexualized deepfakes of women and children being created and shared on X. The investigation will examine whether the social media platform has failed to comply with its legal obligations under the U.K. Online Safety Act, which came into force in March last year. xAI's Grok still appears to be churning out thousands of sexualized deepfakes of women and children, despite restrictions that the company imposed late last week that it said would make it much less likely for users to create these kinds of images. "Reports of Grok being used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X have been deeply concerning," Ofcom said in a statement, adding that "platforms must protect people in the U.K. from content that's illegal in the U.K., and we won't hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there's a risk of harm to children." If found in violation, X could face fines of up to £18 million or 10% of its global revenue, whichever is greater, and in severe cases of non-compliance, courts could order British internet providers to block access to the platform entirely. But while the probe is centered on illegal content -- particularly child sexual abuse material -- experts warn the enforcement action risks being reframed as a geopolitical battle over censorship and free speech. X has already been temporarily blocked in Malaysia and Indonesia over the images. But, in response to the threats of a U.K. ban, Musk has accused the British government of being "fascist" and claimed ministers just "want any excuse for censorship." X did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fortune. xAI responded with the automated message: "Legacy Media Lies." If Ofcom does decide to ban the platform, Nick Anstead, an associate professor specializing in political communication at the London School of Economics, told Fortune he expected there would be "an attempt to co-opt it rhetorically into this wider conversation about free speech." "We've already seen that this discourse is playing out and the actual substance of why it's happened and the trigger will get lost in the debate," he said. British politicians have indicated that they are willing to support Ofcom if it chooses to block the platform, but they have also made an effort to distance themselves from whatever decision the independent regulator makes. The U.K.'s technology minister Liz Kendall said last week that the Online Safety Act "includes the power to block services from being accessed in the U.K., if they refuse to comply with U.K. law" and if Ofcom decided to use those powers it would have the government's full support. "It's very notable that you have had government ministers on the television in the past couple days saying, this is a matter for Ofcom," Anstead said. "It's already been slightly removed from the political arena by giving it to this regulator." British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has also said that U.S. Vice President JD Vance agrees that sexualized AI deepfakes, particularly those of children, are "entirely unacceptable." Lammy said he raised concerns about Grok being used to create explicit images of women and children with Vance during a meeting in Washington last week and that Vance agreed with the U.K.'s position. However, the U.K.'s Online Safety Act, which outlaws content such as non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material, has been a particular point of contention between the U.S. and the U.K. Vance has repeatedly criticized European online safety regulations, warning at the Munich Security Conference in February last year that they suppress political speech. The Trump administration has taken multiple actions against what it views as European censorship, including barring five Europeans from entering the U.S. in December for allegedly pressuring tech firms to censor American viewpoints. Members of Congress have also introduced resolutions opposing what they describe as foreign efforts to censor constitutionally protected speech by Americans under laws such as the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), and the State Department has instructed some U.S. embassies in Europe to lobby against aspects of the DSA. Women have been particularly targeted by AI-manipulated images showing them nude or in sexual scenarios without consent, with many victims reporting that X ignored their complaints and left the content online. Researchers say Grok's integration into X creates an unprecedented distribution system for such imagery. According to a report from Bloomberg, one analysis found Grok was generating approximately 6,700 sexually explicit or "undressing" images per hour and that sexualized content comprised 85% of Grok's total output. In response, Musk has argued that other AI chatbots and digital tools can edit images in the same way as Grok, and accused the U.K. of singling out his platform. On Monday, when questioned if the threats to block Elon Musk's social media platform amounted to an attack on free speech, the British prime minister's spokesperson said in comments reported by Sky News: "I don't accept that at all. Our position on free speech is clear. You had the PM discuss this directly with the president in the Oval Office in February." "We're fully committed to the right to free speech," the spokesperson added.

What a new law and an investigation could mean for Grok AI deepfakes

Here's me, at the end of a pier in Dorset in the summer. Two of these images were generated using the artificial intelligence tool Grok, which is free to use and belongs to Elon Musk. It's pretty convincing. I've never worn the rather fetching yellow ski suit, or the red and blue jacket - the middle photo is the original - but I don't know how I could prove that if I needed to, because of those pictures. Of course, Grok is under fire for undressing rather than redressing women. And doing so without their consent. It made pictures of people in bikinis, or worse, when prompted by others. And shared the results in public on the social network X. There is also evidence it has generated sexualised images of children. Following days of outrage and condemnation, the UK's online regulator Ofcom has said it is urgently investigating whether Grok has broken British online safety laws. The government wants Ofcom to get on with it - and fast. But Ofcom will have to be thorough and follow its own processes if it wants to avoid criticism of attacking free speech, which has dogged the Online Safety Act from its earliest stages. Elon Musk has been uncharacteristically quiet on the subject in recent days, which suggests even he realises how serious this all is. But he did fire off a post accusing the British government of seeking "any excuse" for censorship. Not everyone agrees that on this occasion, the defence is acceptable.

International pressure builds on X and Musk over Grok deepfakes of women and children

Elon Musk in Washington, D.C. in 2025.Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images The United Kingdom's online safety regulator announced Monday it was formally investigating X over concerns that Grok had been "used to create and share undressed images of people," including children. The agency, Ofcom, said it was carrying out an "expedited assessment" and that X had responded to its requests for information on Friday. If Ofcom finds that X violated U.K. law, it can institute penalties ranging from sanctions of 10% of its global revenue, prohibiting British companies from advertising with X, or directing the country's internet providers to block the platform. The U.K. investigation is just one of the actions taken by governments around the world in response to Grok's deepfake abilities. Over the weekend, regulators in Indonesia and Malaysia announced they had temporarily blocked X in their countries, citing their laws against deepfakes and Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). Mary Anne Franks, a George Washington University law professor who studies laws on nonconsensual pornography and has helped both state and federal legislators craft laws on the topic, said she does not expect the U.S. federal government to step in. But threats from other countries with stricter CSAM laws may force X and Musk to rein Grok in, she said. "If there is some slowdown, I'm sure it's because of the backlash, and then separately, because these other countries have different definitions of what constitutes illegal CSAM," Franks said. Last week, after being prompted by users, Grok began creating thousands of sexualized AI-generated images every hour using the faces of real people and posting them on X, according to an analysis conducted by deepfake researcher Genevieve Oh. Many of the deepfakes depicted identifiable women who were placed in bathing suits or revealing poses by artificial intelligence; but Grok also depicted some people, including some children, according to some watchdogs, as fully nude. A spokesperson for the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, told NBC News that the agency has recently observed Grok generating sexualized images of children. On Friday, Australia's eSafety Commissioner, a government agency dedicated to online safety, said it had received several reports of Grok creating exploitative images and had asked X to clarify its safeguards, noting that it could issue removal notices to X. Both Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, condemned the images on Saturday. Musk and X did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Musk and X recently posted that they prohibit users from making "illegal content," but have refrained from publicly indicating that they would substantially change Grok's ability to manipulate and sexualize images of people. The creation and possession of CSAM are widely illegal around the world, but many countries also have laws restricting or prohibiting the creation of sexualized images of adult people without their consent, known as nonconsensual pornography. Early Friday morning, X made the Grok reply bot, which was driving the deepfake trend, a premium feature for paying subscribers, though users could still produce the deepfakes using the Grok stand-alone app in addition to other interfaces where Grok was available. While the number of such images posted to X appears to have slowed, critics like Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., have said the move is tantamount to making "some of its users pay for the privilege of producing horrific images on the X app." Ofcom said its investigation would focus on whether X has been following U.K. law by quickly taking down illegal content as it became aware of it, and whether it was carrying out successful risk assessments before making "significant changes to their service." On Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on a radio interview that Ofcom "has our full support to take action." "This is disgraceful. It's disgusting. And it's not to be tolerated," he said of the image creation. "X has got to get a grip of this." India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, MeitY, also reportedly warned X last week that it was potentially violating its laws. MeitY didn't respond to a request for comment. It remains unclear if any U.S. regulators will take on Musk and his companies over the manipulated images. The Federal Trade Commission did not respond to a request for comment. The Justice Department told NBC News last week that it was committed to holding "individuals who exploit technology to harm our most vulnerable" accountable, but didn't mention specific companies. A number of state attorneys general have declined to comment to NBC News on whether they are considering charges over the images. Musk has broadly pushed for X and his AI company that powers Grok, xAI, to be more lax on content moderation than most of their competitors. On Friday, he posted on X that reports of the U.K.'s Labour Party wanting to potentially block X over the Grok images were evidence that "They want any excuse for censorship." Thomas Regnier, a spokesperson for the European Commission, said in a press conference Monday that it has given Musk and X an ultimatum to stop the production of CSAM, but stopped short of mentioning any specific penalties. "Drawing a parallel between freedom of speech and an AI tool that generates Child Sexual Abuse material is dangerous nonsense, especially when it comes from the owner of a tech company. Frankly speaking I cannot even believe we are speaking about this and engaging with this from the commission's podium in 2026," Regnier said. In December, the European Commission fined X $140 million, saying that the platform broke Europe's laws against hate speech and misinformation. That prompted criticism from the Trump administration, with both Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it an attack on American free speech.

UK regulator opens probe into X over sexualised AI imagery

London (AFP) - UK media regulator Ofcom on Monday launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk's X over its AI chatbot Grok's image creation feature that has been used to produce sexualised deepfakes. Grok is facing growing international backlash for allowing users to create and share sexualised pictures of women and children using simple text prompts. Ofcom described the reports as "deeply concerning". It said in a statement that the undressed images of people "may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography -- and sexualised images of children... may amount to child sexual abuse material". Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office welcomed the investigation, saying that Ofcom "has our full support to take any action it sees fit". A Downing Street spokesperson added: "We won't hesitate to go further to protect children online and strengthen the law as needed." Ofcom said it had contacted X on January 5 asking it to explain the steps it has taken to protect UK users. Without sharing details of the exchange, the regulator said that X responded within the given timeframe. The formal investigation will determine whether X "failed to comply with its legal obligations". Contacted by AFP, X referred to a previous statement, which said: "We take action against illegal content on X... by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary." Global backlash Under Britain's Online Safety Act, which entered force in July, websites, social media and video-sharing platforms hosting potentially harmful content are required to implement strict age verification through tools such as facial imagery or credit card checks. It is meanwhile illegal for media sites to create or share non-consensual intimate images, or child sexual abuse material, including sexual deepfakes created with AI. Ofcom has the power to impose fines of 10 percent of worldwide revenue for breaches of these rules. Grok appeared to deflect the international criticism with a new monetisation policy at the end of last week, posting on X that the tool was now "limited to paying subscribers", alongside a link to a premium subscription. Starmer condemned the move as an affront to victims and "not a solution". Musk brushed off the UK's criticism this weekend, posting on X that "they just want to suppress free speech". On Saturday, Indonesia became the first country to deny all access to the tool, with Malaysia following suit Sunday. The European Commission, which acts as the EU's digital watchdog, has ordered X to retain all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026 in response to the uproar. "We will not be outsourcing child protection and consent to Silicon Valley," European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday. "If they don't act, we will," she added.

UK investigates Elon Musk's X over sexualised AI images

The regulator Ofcom is investigating X under the Online Safety Act. "We have decided to open a formal investigation to establish whether X has failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act," it said. The United Kingdom's media watchdog is investigating Elon Musk's social media platform X over the use of the Grok artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, which has come under scrutiny for being misused to generate sexually explicit and non-consensual images. In a statement, Ofcom said there had been "deeply concerning reports" of the chatbot being used to create and share undressed images of people, as well as "sexualised images of children". The AI platform was blocked in Malaysia and Indonesia over the weekend after authorities said it was being misused to generate non-consensual sexual deepfakes. "Ofcom's investigation into X is a line in the sand moment. This is not about hosting harmful content. It is about a platform-linked AI tool actively generating it," said Charlotte Wilson, head of enterprise at cybersecurity firm Check Point. "When your own technology can create 'undressed' images of real people and sexualised images of children, you are no longer neutral infrastructure. You are part of the harm chain. Blaming bad actors misses the point," she added. Launched in 2023, Grok is free to use on X. Users can ask the chatbot questions on the social media platform and tag posts they've directly created or replies to posts from other users. Musk said on his social media platform X that the critics "just want to suppress free speech". Last summer, the company added an image generator feature, Grok Imagine, that included a so-called "spicy mode" that can generate adult content. If X does not comply with Ofcom's requirements, the media watchdog can seek a court order to force internet service providers to block access to the site in the UK altogether. Ofcom could potentially issue X, if found to have broken the law, with a fine of up to 10 percent of its worldwide revenue or £18 million (€20 million). The UK's technology secretary, Liz Kendall, will speak on Monday afternoon about Grok.

Elon Musk says UK wants to suppress free speech as X faces possible ban

Ministers warn platform could be blocked after Grok AI used to create sexual images without consent Elon Musk has accused the UK government of wanting to suppress free speech after ministers threatened fines and a possible ban for his social media site X after its AI tool, Grok, was used to make sexual images of women and children without their consent. The billionaire claimed Grok was the most downloaded app on the UK App Store on Friday night after ministers threatened to take action unless the function to create sexually harassing images was removed. Responding to threats of a ban from the government, Musk wrote: "They just want to suppress free speech". Thousands of women have faced abuse from users of the AI tool which was first used to digitally strip fully clothed photographs into images showing them wearing micro bikinis, and then used for extreme image manipulation. Pictures of teenage girls and children were altered to show them wearing swimwear; experts said some of this content could be categorised as child sexual abuse material. Some users began to demand to see bruising on the bodies of the women, and for blood to be added to the images. Women were shown tied up, gagged and shot. Liz Kendall, the technology secretary, promised on Friday that ministers were looking seriously at the possibility of access to X being barred in the UK. Kendall said she expected Ofcom, which said this week that it was seeking urgent answers from the platform, to announce action within "days not weeks". "X needs to get a grip and get this material down," she said. "And I would remind them that in the Online Safety Act, there are backstop powers to block access to services if they refuse to comply with the law for people in the UK. And if Ofcom decides to use those powers, they would have the full backing of the government." The UK government's concerns were echoed by the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese. Speaking in Canberra on Saturday, Albanese said that "global citizens deserve better". Australia recently banned the use of social media for under-16s. Albanese added that "the use of generative artificial intelligence to exploit or sexualise people without their consent is abhorrent". "The fact that this tool was used so that people were using its image creation function through Grok is just completely abhorrent. It, once again, is an example of social media not showing social responsibility." Some rightwing political figures have tried to frame this as a free speech issue. Responding to the news X faced a potential ban, former prime minister Liz Truss said: "Starmer is really losing it now." On Friday, X partially restricted the abilities of Grok. Its public account lost the ability to generate images at the request of free users, leaving that function available only to paid subscribers. It also appeared to have stopped creating bikini images. However, the Grok app, which does not generate images publicly, is still able to create sexually explicit material from women's pictures. Other nudificiation apps are still available. Labour MP Jess Asato, who campaigns against the sexual abuse and harassment of women, said new legislation to ban these apps needed to be urgently expedited. Pointing out adverts for such apps are available on YouTube, she posted on social media: "It's not just XAi. This nudification tool was advertised yesterday on @YouTube. "No rules had been broken @Google said on reporting. "Our nudification legislation needs to be expedited."

Ofcom launches X probe over Grok AI abuse concerns

UK's probe into X comes after Malaysia and Indonesia became the first countries to block access to Grok AI. UK's Ofcom has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X over concerns that users prompting Grok AI to 'nudify' people might be creating and disseminating child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the platform. Musk outfitted xAI's Grok with its single-prompt image editing ability on 24 December. In the weeks since, the tool has allowed X users to sexually exploit people in images and videos with prompts such as "Grok, take this photo and put her in a bikini" and "Grok take off her dress". These generally targeted women and children. As a response to the sharp criticism from users and governments alike, X decided to restrict the feature to paid users last week. But this doesn't stop users from requesting Grok to edit such images for free on its standalone website and app. This could also incentivise X users to subscribe for access. The internet and telecoms regulator Ofcom states that the resulting content could amount to intimate image abuse, pornography and CSAM. The regulator said it reached out to X on 5 January to ask what steps it took to comply with its legal duties to protect UK users from illegal content. Following the platform's response, Ofcom launched a formal investigation into X under the country's Online Safety Act (OSA). The OSA probe will examine UK users' risk of coming across illegal content on X, taking action to prevent and take down such content, assess - in particular - the risk UK children face on X, and use age assurance to prevent children from seeing pornography on the platform. X is liable to a fine of up to €18m - or 10pc of its global revenue - whichever is greater, if it's found that it broke the country's law. Ofcom can also mandate "business disruption measures" through a court imposed order, which could require payment providers or advertisers to withdraw their services from the platform, or require internet service providers to block access to the site in the UK. "Reports of Grok being used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X have been deeply concerning," a spokesperson for Ofcom said. "We'll progress this investigation as a matter of the highest priority, while ensuring we follow due process. As the UK's independent online safety enforcement agency, it's important we make sure our investigations are legally robust and fairly decided." The fresh investigation into X comes after Malaysia and Indonesia became the first countries to block access to Grok AI. UK technology secretary Liz Kendall has said that she would back Ofcom if it blocks access to X in the country. Meanwhile, Irish Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Niamh Smyth, TD has requested a meeting with X, and Irish media regulator Coimisiún na Meán is engaging with the European Commission and An Garda Síochána over the matter. Despite the ongoing backlash X and Grok are facing, on 6 January, parent company xAI announced a $20bn Series E round, putting the company at a valuation of around $230bn. The round saw participation from Valor Equity Partners, Stepstone Group, Fidelity Management and Research Company, Qatar Investment Authority, MGX and Baron Capital Group. Strategic investors in the round included Nvidia and Cisco Investments. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

UK 'won't back down' in row with Elon Musk's X over Grok sex images, says PM

The offence of creating non-consensual intimate images will come into force this week. Elon Musk's X is acting to comply with UK safety laws and the government "won't back down", Sir Keir Starmer has said. The prime minister told PMQs that the nonconsensual sex images produced by the platform's Grok AI tool are "disgusting" and "shameful" . Politics Live: Elon Musk is complying with UK law in relation to Grok image abuse He added that X's decision to turn its AI image editing tool into a premium service is "horrific" and ministers are "absolutely determined to take action". Responding to a question from Labour MP Emily Darlington, Sir Keir said: "I have been informed this morning that X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law. "If so, that is welcome, but we're not going to back down, and they must act. "We will take the necessary measures. We will strengthen existing laws and prepare for legislation if it needs to go further, and Ofcom will continue its independent investigation." Ofcom, the media regulator, launched an investigation into X on Monday following mounting concerns over reports Grok was allowing users to manipulate images of women and children to sexualise them. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the watchdog would have ministers' full support to take action against X, including effectively banning the platform in the UK, if the company did not make changes. She condemned the platform's decision to limit some use of Grok's image generating function to X's paying subscribers, saying the platform was "monetising abuse". And Ms Kendall said legislation making it a criminal offence to create or request the creation of non-consensual intimate images would come into force this week following the Grok outcry. Mr Musk, the site's billionaire owner, initially claimed the threats were part of an effort to censor X. Sir Keir also called it "astonishing" that Reform UK defended Mr Musk on the issue. "I said the images are disgusting, their position is disgusting on this. This is weaponising images of women and children that should never be made." Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage has called the images being produced by Grok "horrible in every way" but that banning X would infringe on free speech. Ofcom's powers fall under the Online Safety Act, which states that online platforms have to make sure they're not hosting illegal content. If X is found to not comply with the Online Safety Act, Ofcom can issue a fine of up to 10% of its worldwide revenue or £18m, and if that is not enough, can go as far as getting a court approval to block the site.

UK makes it illegal to create AI nudes without permission

London | Britain's government has made it illegal to use artificial intelligence to create non-consensual "deepfake" nude images of women and any of children, as its online regulator launches a formal investigation into Elon Musk's X social media platform. The investigation will look at whether X is complying with its requirements under online safety laws, and opens the door for the platform to be eventually banned in the UK, although a number of big steps needs to be taken before that can be done.

UK, Canada and Australia might ban X over Grok deepfakes

Government officials from the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia have initiated coordinated discussions regarding regulatory action against X (formerly Twitter) after its Grok AI chatbot was used to create explicit deepfake images of women and children. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has directed the media regulator Ofcom to consider all potential penalties, including a total ban, describing the platform's failure to prevent such content as "disgraceful." While Canadian officials confirmed that high-level inter-governmental talks are underway, they clarified that Canada is not currently considering an outright ban. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also condemned the platform, labeling the generated content "completely abhorrent" and citing a lack of social responsibility. Regulatory backlash has already resulted in service restrictions in other regions. Indonesia became the first nation to block access to Grok, followed by a temporary ban in Malaysia, with both governments citing the need to protect citizens from non-consensual pornographic content. Further pressure is mounting from Europe, where the European Commission has ordered X to retain internal documents for a potential investigation under the Digital Services Act. Additionally, the UK's Internet Watch Foundation reported discovering criminal imagery of minors on the dark web that users claimed was generated using Grok. In response to the crisis, X restricted Grok's image generation tools to paying subscribers, a move UK officials dismissed as an "insulting" attempt to monetize the problem rather than solve it. The regulatory standoff has escalated into a political dispute, with Elon Musk accusing the UK government of "fascism" and censorship. Meanwhile, U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna has threatened to push for sanctions against the UK should it proceed with banning the platform.

UK to bring into force law this week to tackle Grok AI deepfakes

The UK will bring into force a law which will make it illegal to create non-consensual intimate images, following widespread concerns over Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot. The Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the law would make it illegal for companies to supply the tools designed to create such images. Speaking to the Commons, Kendall said AI-generated pictures of women and children in states of undress, created without a person's consent, were not "harmless images" but "weapons of abuse". The BBC has approached X for comment. It previously said: "Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.".

UK probes X over sexualised images of children and deepfakes made by Grok

Britain's media regulator Ofcom launched a probe into X on Monday after its AI chatbot Grok was used to generate sexualised images of children and deepfakes. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged X's owner Elon Musk "to get a grip" on Grok, describing the images as "disgusting". UK media regulator Ofcom on Monday launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk's X over its AI chatbot Grok's image creation feature that has been used to produce sexualised deepfakes. Grok is facing growing international backlash for allowing users to create and share sexualised pictures of women and children using simple text prompts. Ofcom described the reports as "deeply concerning". It said in a statement that the undressed images of people "may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography - and sexualised images of children ... may amount to child sexual abuse material". WatchGlobal anger over Grok undressing women online Britain's Technology Minister Liz Kendal welcomed the probe. "It is vital that Ofcom complete this investigation swiftly because the public - and most importantly the victims - will not accept any delay," she said in a statement. "The content created and shared using Grok in recent days has been deeply disturbing," adding that she would update parliament later on Monday. Contacted by AFP, X did not immediately respond. Could face steep fines Ofcom said it had contacted X on January 5, asking it to explain the steps it has taken to protect UK users. Without sharing details of the exchange, the regulator said that X did respond within the given timeframe. The formal investigation will determine whether X "failed to comply with its legal obligations". Read moreThe EU laws reining in big tech and fighting disinformation - but angering Trump Under Britain's Online Safety Act, which came into force in July, websites, social media and video-sharing platforms hosting potentially harmful content are required to implement strict age verification through tools such as facial imagery or credit card checks. It is also illegal for media sites to create or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material, including sexual deepfakes created with AI. Ofcom has the power to impose fines of 10 percent of worldwide revenue for breaches of these rules. Grok appeared to deflect the international criticism with a new monetisation policy at the end of last week, posting on X that the tool was now "limited to paying subscribers", alongside a link to a premium subscription. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned the move as an affront to victims and "not a solution". On Saturday, Indonesia became the first country to deny all access to the tool, with Malaysia following suit on Sunday. The European Commission has said it is reviewing complaints about Grok.

UK PM Starmer Says X Moves to Comply With UK Law Over AI Deepfakes

LONDON, Jan 14 - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that Elon Musk's X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law after the country's media regulator launched a probe ⁠into the platform over sexualised imagery produced by the Grok AI chatbot. "I have been informed this morning that X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law," Starmer told parliament, adding that the government would ⁠take further measures if needed. Ofcom launched an investigation into the social media platform on Monday over concerns Grok was creating sexually intimate deepfake images in violation of its duty to protect people in the UK from illegal content. Technology minister Liz Kendall said a new law making it an offence to create sexual deepfakes would come into force this week to tackle the images, which she called "weapons of abuse". X did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It said earlier in January that it has restricted requests to undress people in images to paying users. (Reporting by Muvija M, writing by Sam Tabahriti; editing by Sarah Young)

UK to criminalize nonconsensual deepfakes amid probe into Grok AI

(NewsNation) -- A United Kingdom law making it a criminal offense to create or request nonconsensual sexual deepfakes will take effect this week amid concerns that Grok, the AI chatbot on Elon Musk-owned social media platform X, is being used to create such images. "No woman or child should live in fear of having their image sexually manipulated by technology," Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said in a statement to the House of Commons on Monday. The government is also looking to enforce legislation that "will make it illegal for companies to supply tools designed to create nonconsensual intimate images, targeting the problem at its source," Kendall said. The crackdown comes as the U.K. media regulator Ofcom announced a formal investigation into Musk's X on Monday to determine whether it has "complied with its duties" to protect U.K. users from illegal content amid reports of "sexualised images of children." The investigation places additional pressure on the platform of the world's richest man, which is already facing growing public scrutiny as well as criminal and regulatory probes around the world. "Reports of Grok being used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X have been deeply concerning," an Ofcom spokesperson said in a statement. "We won't hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there's a risk of harm to children." Amid mounting backlash from British officials, Musk wrote on X Saturday that Britain's government "just want to suppress free speech." Reuters contributed to this report.

Ofcom investigating X after reports AI chatbot Grok used to create sexualised images of children

The watchdog says it will examine whether people in the UK are being exposed to illegal content, and if children are being put at risk. Ofcom has launched a formal investigation into X's AI tool, Grok, over it being used to create sexualised imagery of women and children. The media watchdog has said it contacted the social media platform on Monday last week and set a firm deadline of last Friday to "explain what steps it has taken to comply with its duties to protect its users in the UK". The company replied by the deadline, and Ofcom has since carried out an "expedited assessment of available evidence as a matter of urgency". It added the formal investigation will look into whether X, owned by tech titan Elon Musk, has "failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act". Ministers have made it clear they would support Ofcom if it concludes that X should be banned in the UK. But the Tories have said they do not think a ban would be the correct approach.

UK PM Starmer says X moves to comply with UK law over AI deepfakes

Britain's media regulator is investigating X, formerly Twitter, over its Grok AI chatbot creating sexualised images. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated X is working to comply with UK law. Elon Musk confirmed Grok will refuse illegal image requests. A new law against sexual deepfakes is also coming into effect this week. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that ⁠Elon Musk's X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law after the country's media regulator launched a probe into the platform over sexualised imagery produced by the Grok AI chatbot. "I have been informed this morning that X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law," Starmer told parliament, adding that the government would take further measures if needed. Shortly after Starmer spoke, Musk posted on X that Grok will always comply with the law of the countries in which it operates. "When asked to generate images, it (Grok) will refuse to produce anything illegal, as the operating principle for Grok is to obey the laws of any given country or state," he said. Earlier in January, X said that it was restricted requests to undress people in images to paying users. Ofcom launched an investigation into the social media platform on Monday over concerns Grok was ⁠creating sexually intimate deepfake ⁠images in violation of its duty to protect people in the UK from illegal content. Technology minister Liz Kendall said a new law making it an offence to create sexual deepfakes would come into force this week to tackle the images, which she called "weapons of abuse".

Ofcom investigates Elon Musk's X over Grok AI sexual deepfakes

The BBC has approached X for comment. Elon Musk previously said the UK government wanted "any excuse for censorship" in response to a post questioning why other AI platforms were not being looked at. The BBC has seen several examples of digitally altered images on X, in which women were undressed and put in sexual positions without their consent. One woman said more than 100 sexualised images have been created of her. If X does not comply, Ofcom can seek a court order to force internet service providers to block access to the site in the UK altogether. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall is expected to address MPs about Grok in the Commons later on Monday. Her predecessor Peter Kyle told BBC Breakfast it was "appalling" that Grok had "not been tested appropriately". "The fact that I met just yesterday a Jewish woman who has found her image of herself in a bikini outside of Auschwitz being generated by AI and put online made me feel sick to my stomach," he said. Ofcom will now examine whether X has failed to take down illegal content quickly when it became aware of it, and taken "appropriate steps" to prevent people in the UK from seeing it. It said such illegal content included "non-consensual intimate images" and child sexual imagery. The decision follows global backlash over Grok's image creation feature, with both Malaysia and Indonesia temporarily blocking access to the tool over the weekend. An Ofcom spokesperson did not give an indication on how long the investigation would take but said it would be a "matter of the highest priority". "Platforms must protect people in the UK from content that's illegal in the UK," they said. "We won't hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there's a risk of harm to children."

U.K. Media Regulator Opens Investigation Into X Over Grok's Sexualized AI Images

U.K. Media Regulator Opens Investigation Into X Over Grok's Sexualized AI Images The U.K.'s media watchdog on Monday launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X platform over the widespread use of its Grok AI image-generating tool to create sexually explicit images of children. "Reports of Grok being used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X have been deeply concerning," an Ofcom spokesperson said. "Platforms must protect people in the UK from content that's illegal in the UK, and we won't hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there's a risk of harm to children." The tool has been used to edit images of people to remove their clothes, prompting outrage.

Starmer says Musk's X is moving to comply with UK law over AI deepfakes

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that Elon Musk's social media platform X is taking steps to fully comply with British law after regulators opened an investigation into AI generated deepfake imagery. Speaking in parliament, Starmer said he had been informed that X was acting to meet its legal obligations. He added that the government was prepared to take further action if necessary. Below, you will find everything he said today. The probe, launched this week by media regulator Ofcom, focuses on concerns that X's Grok AI chatbot has produced sexually explicit deepfake images, potentially breaching UK rules designed to protect users from illegal content. Musk responded shortly after Starmer's comments, saying Grok would always follow the laws of the countries in which it operates and would refuse to generate illegal images. Earlier this month, X also said it had restricted requests to undress people in images to paying users. The issue comes as the UK prepares to introduce a new law making the creation of sexual deepfakes a criminal offence. Technology minister Liz Kendall described such images as "weapons of abuse" and said the legislation would come into force this week.

Elon Musk says backlash to AI chatbot deepfake images is 'excuse for censorship'

The UK government "wants any excuse for censorship", Elon Musk has said, amid a growing backlash over deepfake sexual images produced by his social media site X's artificial intelligence tool. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said X needed "to get a grip of" its AI chatbot Grok, and he had asked media regulator Ofcom for "all options to be on the table". Indonesia temporarily blocked the chatbot on Saturday, becoming the first country to deny access to the AI tool. It comes after criticism from governments and regulators in Europe and Asia, with some opening inquiries into sexualised content. Earlier this week, the Internet Watch Foundation reported that criminals have been using Grok to create child sexual abuse imagery. On Friday, X appeared to have changed Grok's settings, with a message displayed by the chatbot saying image editing had been limited to paid subscribers - changes described as "insulting" by Downing Street. Appearing defiant, Musk later shared one X user's post criticising the Labour government for apparently focusing on his platform, pointing to claims of other AI programmes creating non-sexualised images of women in bikinis. "They want any excuse for censorship," the tech billionaire said. He has previously said on X that anyone using Grok ⁠to make illegal content would suffer the same consequences as if they had uploaded it. Criticism of X has focused on manipulation of photographs of real women to remove their clothes, and the reports of Grok's production of images of child abuse. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has said she would back regulator Ofcom should X be blocked if it fails to comply with UK laws, saying: "Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent." Ms Kendall said it was "totally unacceptable for Grok to allow this if you're willing to pay for it" and she expects an update on Ofcom's next steps "in days, not weeks". Ofcom is now undertaking an "expedited assessment" of the situation after making "urgent contact" with X over the reports. Read more: 'I fought a robot and won' Cyber flashing made a priority offence The media watchdog has powers under the Online Safety Act to fine businesses up to £18m, or 10% of global revenue, as well as to take criminal action. It can also order payment providers, advertisers and internet service providers to stop working with a site, effectively banning them, though this would require agreement from the courts. Meanwhile, after the temporary block in Indonesia, communications and digital minister Meutya Hafid said the government "views the practice of non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space". The country has strict rules that ban the sharing of online content deemed obscene.

UK regulator launches investigation into X over Grok sexualised imagery

Britain's media regulator Ofcom has opened an investigation into Elon Musk's X over alleged misuse of its Grok AI chatbot to generate sexual deepfakes. The probe follows political pressure after Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the content as unlawful. Ofcom will assess whether X failed to protect UK users, particularly children, from illegal material. Britain's media regulator launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X on Monday to determine whether sexually intimate ⁠deepfakes produced by its Grok AI chatbot violated its duty to protect people in the UK from content that could be illegal. "There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people - which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography - and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material," Ofcom said in a statement. The regulator is under pressure to act after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the images produced by Grok were "disgusting" and "unlawful". Musk's X had to "get a grip" on Grok, Starmer said on Thursday, adding that Ofcom had the government's full support to take action. Creating or sharing non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated sexual imagery, is illegal in Britain. Additionally, tech platforms must prevent British users from encountering illegal content and remove it once they become aware of it. X has faced condemnation in other countries over the feature, which can produce images of women and minors in skimpy clothing. French officials have reported X to prosecutors and regulators, calling the content "manifestly illegal," while Indian authorities have also demanded explanations. X has restricted the feature to paying users. It said last week that it removes all illegal content on the platform and permanently suspends accounts involved. "Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content," it said. Asked about the ⁠subject recently, xAI told ⁠Reuters: "Legacy Media Lies." Ofcom will investigate whether X failed to assess the risk that people in Britain would see illegal content, and whether it considered the risk to children. Ofcom said in the most serious cases of non-compliance it could ask a court to require "payment providers or advertisers to withdraw their services from a platform", or make internet service providers block access to a site in Britain. X did not immediately reply to a request to comment on the Ofcom investigation.

UK to bring into force law against companies providing tools for AI deepfakes: report (X.AI:Private)

The U.K. is set to bring into force a law -- perhaps as soon as this week -- that will make it illegal for companies to provide tools for artificial intelligence deepfakes, the BBC reported. Concerns have risen recently in The new law will make it illegal to provide tools for AI deepfakes, preventing companies from releasing such technology and increasing legal risk. xAI faces regulatory investigations, public outrage, possible legal consequences, and pressure from lawmakers and app stores to restrict or remove services. Ofcom is investigating X for compliance with U.K. laws related to preventing illegal content, including potential intimate image abuse and child sexual abuse material.

X Being Probed by U.K. Media Regulator Over Grok's Image Tool After Sexualized Deepfakes Uproar

X Limits AI Chatbot Grok's Image Generation, Editing to Subs After Uproar Over Sexualized Deepfakes Grok, the AI chatbot created by xAI, the artificial intelligence company founded by and majority-owned by Elon Musk, last week switched off its image creation and editing function for most users after an uproar over sexualized and violent imagery created with it. "Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers," Grok replied to users of Musk's X attempting to create images on Friday. The restriction came amid threats of fines or even an outright ban on X in the U.K. On Monday, U.K. media regulator Ofcom said it was investigating the issue, opening "a formal investigation into X under the U.K.'s Online Safety Act, to determine whether it has complied with its duties to protect people in the U.K. from content that is illegal in the U.K." Ofcom described its initial assessment this way: "There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people - which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography - and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material (CSAM). As the U.K.'s independent online safety watchdog, we urgently made contact with X on Monday, 5 January and set a firm deadline of Friday, 9 January for it to explain what steps it has taken to comply with its duties to protect its users in the U.K. The company responded by the deadline, and we carried out an expedited assessment of available evidence as a matter of urgency." What will its investigation examine? "Ofcom has decided to open a formal investigation to establish whether X has failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act - in particular, to assess the risk of people in the U.K. seeing content that is illegal in the UK, and to carry out an updated risk assessment before making any significant changes to their service; take appropriate steps to prevent people in the UK from seeing 'priority' illegal content - including non-consensual intimae images and CSAM; take down illegal content swiftly when they become aware of it; have regard to protecting users from a breach of privacy laws; assess the risk their service poses to UK children, and to carry out an updated risk assessment before making any significant changes to their service; and use highly effective age assurance to protect U.K. children from seeing pornography." Ofcom vowed to provide an update "as soon as possible," with a representative saying in a statement: "We'll progress this investigation as a matter of the highest priority, while ensuring we follow due process. As the U.K.'s independent online safety enforcement agency, it's important we make sure our investigations are legally robust and fairly decided." Keir Starmer, the U.K. Prime Minister and Labour Party leader, previously had urged X to "get a grip" of a flood of AI-manipulated photos on the social platform that removed clothing or of women and children or put them in sexualized positions, decrying them as "disgraceful" and "disgusting." In what was seen as a threat of a possible X ban, he emphasized that U.K. communications regulator Ofcom "has our full support to take action in relation to this." The U.K.'s Online Safety Act gives Ofcom the power to seek court orders to block websites or apps in the country in serious cases. The regulator can also impose fines of up to 10 percent of a company's global revenue. A year ago, Starmer's government vowed to make "creating sexually explicit deepfake images a criminal offense" to crack down on "vile online abuse."

Musk says X outcry is 'excuse for censorship'

Elon Musk has said that critics of his social media site X are looking for "any excuse for censorship", amid reports that X's artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok was creating non-consensual sexualised images of people, including children. Ofcom says it is conducting an urgent assessment of X in response, which has been backed by Technology Secretary Liz Kendall. She described the sexual manipulation of images of women and children as "despicable and abhorrent", adding that she would expect to see an update from Ofcom in "days". X has now limited the use of AI image function to those who pay a monthly fee, a change dubbed by Downing Street as "insulting" to victims of sexual violence.

Ofcom escalates Grok probe: The investigator has launched a formal investigation into X

The UK regulator moves from initial contact to a full inquiry over AI-generated sexualised imagery. Just days after the UK communications regulator Ofcom first raised concerns over Grok, the watchdog has now escalated its response, launching a formal investigation into Elon Musk's X over the AI chatbot's image-generation capabilities. Earlier this month, Ofcom confirmed it had contacted X and xAI to assess whether Grok was being used to generate "undressed images of people and sexualised images of children." Today, that initial outreach has now progressed into a full inquiry to determine whether the platform has breached its legal duties under the UK's Online Safety Act. In a statement released on Monday, Ofcom said it was investigating whether X failed to properly assess the risk that British users (particularly children) could be exposed to illegal sexual content, including non-consensual intimate imagery and AI-generated child sexual abuse material. The issue has since drawn direct political intervention. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the Grok-generated images as "disgusting" and "unlawful," saying X must "get a grip" on how its AI tools are being deployed. Ministers have confirmed that sanctions -- including platform-level restrictions -- are on the table if breaches are found. X has maintained that it removes illegal content, suspends offending accounts, and cooperates with authorities, stating that anyone using Grok to generate unlawful imagery will face consequences. Ofcom has warned that in the most serious cases, enforcement action could include cutting off advertising and payment services, or even blocking access to the platform in the UK. Read this story in chronological order:

UK's Ofcom launches probe into X over Grok AI deepfake images

Ofcom said it has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X to determine if the company complied with its duties to protect people in the U.K. from content that is illegal in the country. "There have been deeply concerning reports Ofcom could require X to take corrective actions or impose significant fines if found in breach of the Online Safety Act, potentially impacting operations and compliance costs in the UK. X faces scrutiny under the Online Safety Act for allegedly failing to prevent or swiftly remove illegal content like non-consensual images and CSAM generated by Grok AI, posing legal and reputational risks. Following regulatory pressure and US senators' requests, access to Grok's image generation features was restricted to paying subscribers, and there are calls to remove X and Grok from app stores.

Elon Musk labels UK 'fascist' over Grok image row

Elon Musk has labelled the UK government as fascist, following threats to block his platform X. The government is concerned about sexualized images of women and children created by his AI tool, Grok. UK authorities have found criminal images on the dark web. Prime Minister Keir Starmer demands X take urgent action. Elon Musk accused the UK government of being "fascist" after it stepped up threats to block X over sexualized images of women and children produced by his artificial intelligence tool Grok. Responding to a chart claiming to show the UK had the highest arrests for social media comments in the world, Musk posted: "Why is the UK government so fascist?" In separate posts hours earlier, Musk said the UK wanted to "suppress free speech" and referred to the country as a "prison island." X, formerly known as Twitter, has become a top site for images of people who have been non-consensually undressed by AI, according to third-party analysis, with thousands of instances each hour over a day earlier this week. The UK watchdog responsible for flagging online child sexual-abuse material to law enforcement agencies said it had found "criminal" images on the dark web allegedly generated by Grok. The dark web images depict "sexualized and topless" images of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 and meet the bar for action by law enforcement, the Internet Watch Foundation said. xAI operates Grok and the social media platform X. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed action earlier this week, demanding Musk's X urgently "get their act together" over the sexualized images. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said in a statement Friday that media regulator Ofcom should use its "full legal powers" and warned the govenrment could "block services from being accessed in the UK, if they refuse to comply with UK law." Penalizing X risks incurring the wrath of the Trump administration, which had previously threatened retaliation against the European Union, among others, over their efforts to rein in US tech giants. Still, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said that he had discussed the issue earlier this week with US Vice President JD Vance, who had expressed concern about how the technology was being used. "I think he recognised the very seriousness with which images of women and children could be manipulated in this way, and he recognised how despicable, unacceptable, that is and I found him sympathetic to that position," Lammy told the Guardian newspaper following his trip to Washington. "And in fact, we've been in touch again, today, about this very serious issue." (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)

UK probes X over Grok AI chatbot's sexualized images while Elon Musk...

The United Kingdom's online watchdog launched a formal investigation Monday into Elon Musk's X over sexualized pictures created by its Grok chatbot - just two days after the billionaire accused Downing Street of being "fascist." The UK'S Office of Communications, or Ofcom, cited "deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people -- which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography -- and sexualized images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material." Musk's firm has faced renewed heat from regulators since December, when Grok began churning out creepy, scantily-clad photos of women and minors in response to user prompts. X responded by limiting the photo-editing feature to paid subscribers and warning that users who request illegal content "will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content." Ofcom said it already received a response from X on its plan to protect kids and other users from harm ahead of a Friday deadline, and that the office would conduct an "expedited assessment of available evidence." A formal investigation was widely expected after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the nonconsensual images produced by Grok as "disgraceful" and "unlawful" last week. Elsewhere, the UK's Technology Secretary Liz Kendall warned that Ofcom would have her "full support" if it decided to block access to X in response to any wrongdoing. Musk, meanwhile, has blasted the growing scrutiny from the UK, writing over the weekend on X that the country's government wanted "any excuse for censorship." "Why is the UK government so fascist?" he wrote in another X post on Saturday. He linked to a graph showing that the UK had recorded the most arrests for online comments. The Post has reached out to X for comment. The platform is being probed for potential violations of the UK's Online Safety Act, which requires companies to protect UK-based users from harmful content. Ofcom can impose fines and other penalties if it decides Musk's company has ignored its obligations. X is facing a separate inquiry by the European Commission, which has reportedly asked the company to retain documents related to the Grok chatbot while its officials examine whether the company has violated the European Union's strict online safety rules. "It is up to this company to address this indeed appalling situation otherwise indeed, we will act," an EC spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal. A major crackdown by British or European regulators could set up a clash with the Trump administration, which has been sharply critical of overseas efforts to impose penalties on US tech companies.

UK May Ban Elon Musk's X Over Explicit Grok AI Images

Elon Musk's X Faces UK Ban Threat as Grok AI Triggers Explicit Image Row X is facing mounting scrutiny over the image-generation capabilities of its AI chatbot Grok, developed by Elon Musk's company xAI. social media platform has faced harsh criticism for producing not only sexually explicit but also false images, which even included minors. This raised major concerns among the regulators in many countries. UK, Canadian, and Australian regulators are now talking about a joint action against X. They are worried about the misuse of on social media platforms with a huge number of users.

Starmer says X working to comply with UK law after Grok AI probe By Investing.com

Investing.com -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that Elon Musk's X is taking steps to ensure full compliance with UK law following a regulatory investigation into the platform. The UK media regulator launched a probe into X after the platform's Grok AI chatbot reportedly produced sexualized imagery. Starmer's comments indicate that X is cooperating with authorities as they address concerns about content generated by the artificial intelligence tool on the social media platform. This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

UK media regulator launches formal investigation into X over AI chatbot concerns | BreakingNews

A formal investigation has been launched into whether Elon Musk's social media platform X has complied with UK laws after reports its AI chatbot Grok created and shared sexualised images of children, UK media regulator Ofcom has said. In a statement, Ofcom said it will investigate the platform to determine whether it "has complied with its duties to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal". It comes after the regulator made "urgent contact" with X on January 5th to ask it to explain what steps it will take to protect UK users and set a "firm deadline" of January 9th, which it said X had met. The decision to launch the formal investigation was made after Ofcom reviewed available evidence "as a matter of urgency". The regulator said: "There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people - which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography - and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material."

UK regulator probes X over Grok AI's harmful images under online safety law By Invezz

Invezz.com - The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has launched a formal investigation into X, escalating regulatory scrutiny of artificial intelligence tools embedded in major social media platforms. The probe focuses on whether X has met its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act, following widespread concern over how its AI chatbot, Grok, has been used to generate unlawful and harmful content. The move places the UK among a growing list of governments questioning whether current AI safeguards are sufficient when image and text generation tools are made widely accessible online. Ofcom launches formal investigationOfcom said on Monday that it had opened an investigation into X, a subsidiary of xAI, to assess potential failures to comply with the Online Safety Act. The legislation requires platforms to take steps to protect users from illegal content and to reduce risks associated with emerging technologies. Ofcom has the authority to issue fines or block services if breaches are confirmed. The regulator will now analyse evidence provided by the company before reaching a provisional decision. If Ofcom determines that the law has been breached, it could impose a penalty on X of up to 10% of its global revenue or £18 million, whichever amount is higher. Grok under regulatory spotlightThe probe centres on Grok, an AI tool with fewer safeguards than many mainstream chatbots. Users can interact with Grok directly on X by tagging the chatbot in posts, prompting it to generate text and images that appear publicly on the platform. Regulators and lawmakers have raised concerns after users created large volumes of non-consensual and unlawful imagery, including material involving children and women. UK law prohibits the possession or sharing of sexual images of children and the distribution of intimate images without consent, including content generated using AI tools. These legal standards apply regardless of whether images are synthetic or digitally altered. Platform response and restrictionsAfter users repeatedly misused Grok's image-generation capabilities, xAI restricted the feature to paid users on X. The same functionality, however, remained free on the standalone Grok app. Elon Musk warned this month that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as uploading unlawful material. xAI has said it removes posts that break the law, including child sexual abuse material, and suspends accounts found to be in breach. The UK government has indicated that these steps may be insufficient. Business Secretary Peter Kyle said ministers would consider banning X if necessary, while emphasising that the regulatory process must run its course. Growing international pressureConcerns over Grok have extended beyond the UK. Indonesia and Malaysia temporarily blocked the tool over the weekend, citing risks linked to unlawful content. The Internet Watch Foundation, which is designated by the UK government to help identify child sexual abuse material, said it had found criminal images of children on the dark web that were allegedly generated by Grok. At the European level, the European Commission ordered X to preserve internal documents related to Grok until the end of the year. French authorities have accused the tool of generating clearly illegal content without consent, flagging potential breaches of the EU's Digital Services Act. The regulation requires large online platforms to mitigate risks associated with the spread of illegal material, including content produced using AI. As regulators across multiple jurisdictions intensify their focus on AI-powered services, the UK probe into X is expected to test how existing online safety laws apply to rapidly evolving generative technologies.

Musk hits out at 'fascist' UK as row over X and its Grok AI escalates | BreakingNews

Elon Musk has accused Sir Keir Starmer's government of being "fascist" after UK ministers stepped up threats to ban social media site X over AI-generated sexualised images. The tech tycoon claimed critics of his X platform "want any excuse for censorship" as he appeared defiant despite the outcry over the use of the Grok artificial intelligence feature to create fake images of people, including children. Responding to a chart showing arrest figures for online posts with the UK at the top, Mr Musk said: "Why is the UK government so fascist?" Earlier, pointing to claims other AI programs created non-sexualised images of women in bikinis, he posted on X: "They want any excuse for censorship." Criticism of X has focused on Grok's production of images of child abuse and manipulation of photographs of real women and girls to remove their clothes. UK technology secretary Liz Kendall said she would back regulator Ofcom if it decided to effectively block X if it failed to comply with UK laws, saying: "Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent." Ofcom said it was undertaking an "expedited assessment" after X and Grok's creator xAI responded to contact from the regulator. But Mr Musk responded by sharing a post from US legislator Anna Paulina Luna threatening to sanction both Sir Keir Starmer and the UK if X was blocked in the UK. On Friday, X appeared to have changed Grok's settings, with the chatbot telling users that only paid subscribers could ask it to manipulate images. However, reports suggested this only applied to those making requests in reply to other posts, and other ways of editing or creating images, including on a separate Grok website, remained open. Ms Kendall said it was "totally unacceptable for Grok to allow this if you're willing to pay for it", and added she expected an update on Ofcom's next steps "in days, not weeks". Ofcom has powers under the UK Online Safety Act to fine businesses up to £18 million or 10 per cent of global revenue, as well as to take criminal action. It can also order payment providers, advertisers and internet service providers to stop working with a site, effectively banning them, though this would require agreement from the courts. Ms Kendall also pointed to plans to ban nudification apps as part of the Crime and Policing Bill going through Parliament and said powers to criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent would come into force in the coming weeks. The UK government's criticism of X was backed by Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese. Speaking in Canberra, he said: "The use of generative artificial intelligence to exploit or sexualise people without their consent, is abhorrent."

UK moves to criminalise deepfake explicit images after AI tool Grok triggers alarm

Platforms could face fines of up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue for breaching the Online Safety Act. The UK government is stepping up efforts to combat the creation of non-consensual intimate deepfake images, announcing that a new criminal offence will be implemented this week in response to growing criticism of AI-generated content circulating online. That follows the controversy surrounding Elon Musk's Grok AI, which creates explicit images without permission. People all over the internet have flagged their concerns about safety and privacy. For those who are unaware, Indonesia and Malaysia have already banned Grok AI, and other countries, including the United Kingdom, are reportedly planning to do the same. Coming back, under the UK's new law, it will now be illegal in the region to create or even request the creation of intimate images without a person's consent. Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told Parliament that the offence will also be designated as a priority under the Online Safety Act, a move that places stricter obligations on digital platforms to prevent such content from appearing in the first place. The announcement comes as UK communications regulator Ofcom confirmed that it has opened a formal investigation into X over the spread of deepfake images linked to Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk's xAI. If Ofcom concludes that the platform has breached the Online Safety Act, it could force X to take corrective measures and levy penalties of up to £18 million or 10 percent of its global qualifying revenue. Kendall has stated that the government expects Ofcom to move quickly, stressing that victims of AI-generated abuse are demanding urgent actions rather than lengthy regulatory processes. It must be noted that, in a statement earlier this year, X said it has removed illegal material from the platform, suspended offending accounts, and cooperates with law enforcement when required. The company added that users who prompt Grok to generate unlawful content face the same consequences as those who upload such material directly. X has recently restricted some public image-generation features of Grok to paying subscribers, but reports suggest that free users can still find ways to create or modify images, including sexually explicit content. The Ofcom probe is expected to examine whether those safeguards meet the UK's new legal standards.

Elon Musk vs UK govt: Why X's Grok AI can be banned soon

X has made limited changes to Grok's image tools, but UK ministers say the steps fall short, keeping the possibility of a ban firmly on the table. Elon Musk's X and Grok AI have been in the headlines for their controversial image generation capabilities. The chatbot has been facing criticism for making sexually explicit photos. Now, several countries, including the UK, Canada, and Australia, are considering a coordinated ban on X due to concerns over misuse. On the other hand, Musk has escalated the matter with the UK government, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer's administration of "fascism" as regulators move closer to potential action against social media platform X over its AI image-generation tools. The latest flashpoint came as a result of criticism directed at Grok, Musk's xAI AI chatbot, for generating sexually explicit and manipulated images, including content involving minors. Responding to a social media post about the UK's high number of arrests for online speech, Musk questioned the government's approach, claiming that authorities were using regulation as a pretext for censorship. In a separate post, Musk claimed that critics were unfairly targeting X while ignoring similar behaviour by other AI systems, framing the backlash as an attempt to justify tighter controls on online platforms. Also Read: Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal breaks silence on Temple wearable device after podcast buzz: What he said However, British ministers have taken a firm stance. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall condemned the creation and manipulation of sexualised images, particularly those involving women and children, and warned that X could face serious consequences if it fails to comply with British law. She also stated that the government would support Ofcom if it decided to take enforcement action, including measures that could effectively block access to the platform in the UK. Ofcom has confirmed that it is conducting an expedited assessment after contacting X and xAI regarding Grok's image-generation capabilities. The Online Safety Act gives the regulator the authority to levy fines of up to £18 million, or 10 pct of a company's global turnover. In extreme cases, it may seek court approval to halt a platform's operations by denying access to payment services, advertisers, or internet providers. Musk responded defiantly by resharing a post from a US lawmaker warning of possible retaliatory measures against the UK if X is blocked, pointing out the international nature of the dispute. In recent days, X appears to have quietly changed Grok's settings to restrict image manipulation requests to paid users. However, reports indicate that these restrictions may not apply to all versions of the tool, with alternative routes for generating or editing images remaining accessible. Kendall stated that such partial changes were insufficient, emphasising that allowing paid access to contentious features remained "totally unacceptable". She also stated that Ofcom is expected to outline its next steps in days, not weeks. In the meantime, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also supported the UK on the issue and condemned the use of gen AI to exploit or sexualise individuals without their consent. However, it remains to be seen what will happen.