In a concerning development, the UK media regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into the social media platform X, following a public outcry over the use of its AI tool Grok to manipulate images of women and children by removing their clothes. This comes as new polling suggests that 58% of Britons believe X should be banned in the UK if the platform fails to crack down on such nonconsensual image generation.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned the photographs generated by Grok as “disgusting” and “shameful,” though he has been informed that X is “acting to ensure full compliance with UK law.” Starmer has warned that the government will not back down, stating that they will “take the necessary measures” to strengthen existing laws and prepare for further legislation if needed. Ofcom’s independent investigation into X will continue.
Government officials are understood to have been in discussions with X, but ministers are closely monitoring the impact of the steps taken by the social media site. There is frustration that safeguards put in place by other AI providers to prevent such images from being created appear to be lacking in Grok’s case.
The sharing of nonconsensual intimate images, such as those created by asking an AI to put people in revealing clothing, is illegal under the Online Safety Act. Last week, the Internet Watch Foundation, a UK-based watchdog, reported that users on a dark web forum had been boasting of using the Grok app to create sexualized and topless imagery of girls aged between 11 and 13.
In response, Elon Musk, the CEO of X, has stated that he is “not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok” and that the tool will refuse to produce anything illegal, as its operating principle is to obey the laws of any given country or state. However, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has criticised X’s decision to limit Grok’s image generation and editing functions to paying subscribers, calling it “a further insult to victims, effectively monetising this horrific crime.”
The government’s response to this issue has been met with criticism, with the chair of the Commons select committee for science, innovation and technology, Chi Onwuruh, saying it is “unclear whether this ban – which appears to be limited to apps that have the sole function of generating nude images – will cover multipurpose tools like Grok.” The committee has also criticised the government’s slowness in applying the ban, given that reports of these “disturbing Grok deepfakes” first emerged in August 2025.
As the investigation continues, the public and policymakers alike will be closely watching X’s actions to ensure that it complies with UK law and takes the necessary steps to prevent the nonconsensual generation of intimate images on its platform.
