As the UK grapples with the rise of non-consensual, sexualised deepfakes created using Elon Musk’s AI tool Grok, campaigners have accused the government of dragging its feet on implementing a new law to combat this growing issue.
It comes amid a worrying trend, with one woman telling the BBC that over 100 sexualised images of her have been created through the AI assistant. While it is currently illegal to share deepfakes of adults in the UK, new legislation that would make it a criminal offence to create or request them has still not come into force, despite passing in June 2025.
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has described the situation as “disgraceful” and “disgusting”, calling on the AI company X to “get a grip” on the issue. The regulator Ofcom has also made “urgent contact” with X and xAI, the company behind Grok, and is investigating the concerns.
However, experts and campaigners argue that the government has “repeatedly dragged its heels” in bringing the necessary secondary legislation into effect. Andrea Simon from the End Violence Against Women coalition said the delay has “put women and girls in harm’s way”, as the threat of such abuse can force them to self-censor and restrict their online freedom of expression.
Professor Lorna Woods of the University of Essex believes the current law could potentially cover some of the images created using Grok, but the key legal provision has not yet been implemented. Baroness Owen, who campaigned for the legislative change in the House of Lords, has called for no more delays, stating that “survivors of this abuse deserve better”.
The Ministry of Justice has insisted that it is already an offence to share intimate images without consent, including deepfakes, and that the government is committed to banning their non-consensual creation. However, with the threat of this abuse continuing to impact women and girls on platforms like X, the pressure is mounting on the government to swiftly enact the necessary legislation.