GEOKHUB | Jan 12 Britain’s media regulator Ofcom has opened an investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X, examining whether sexually explicit AI-generated content produced by its Grok chatbot breaches UK laws designed to protect people from illegal content.
The probe comes amid growing concern over deepfake imagery that portrays people in intimate situations without consent. Ofcom said in a statement that some Grok-generated images “may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography” and included sexualized depictions of children, potentially qualifying as child sexual abuse material.
Government Pressure Mounts
The investigation follows comments by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described the content produced by Grok as “disgusting” and “unlawful,” urging the platform to take stronger action. Business Secretary Peter Kyle said X could theoretically face a ban in the UK, though enforcement powers rest with Ofcom. Minister Liz Kendall emphasized that the inquiry must be completed swiftly.
Creating or distributing non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated sexual content, is illegal in the UK. Platforms are legally required to prevent access to such content by UK users and remove it promptly once discovered.
X’s Response
X told Reuters that it acts against illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, by removing offending content, suspending accounts, and cooperating with law enforcement where necessary. The company also noted that requests to generate undressed images are restricted to paying users.
Ofcom’s investigation will assess whether X failed to evaluate the risk of British users encountering illegal content, particularly regarding potential harm to children. In severe cases, the regulator has the authority to seek court orders to block access to a platform, or compel payment and advertising providers to withdraw services in the UK.
X has faced criticism internationally over Grok, with France and India reporting the feature to authorities for producing content deemed illegal or inappropriate.
