The UK government has warned it may take tough regulatory action against Elon Musk–owned social media platform X after its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, was found to be generating sexualised deepfake images of women and children without consent.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the content as “disgusting” and warned that X must remove the material or face consequences under British law. Speaking in a radio interview reported by British media, Starmer said the platform “needs to get its act together” and confirmed he had asked regulators to keep “all options on the table.”
The controversy emerged after X rolled out a new Grok feature that allows users to edit images posted on the platform without the permission of the people depicted. The rollout was followed by a surge in AI-generated images that appeared to undress women and, in some cases, minors. UK officials say some of the material may amount to illegal child sexual abuse imagery.
Britain’s communications regulator, Ofcom, has begun assessing whether X has breached the Online Safety Act, which makes online platforms legally accountable for hosting harmful or unlawful content. Ofcom said it has made urgent contact with X and will carry out a swift review to determine whether a formal investigation is required.
Under the Online Safety Act, regulators can impose fines worth billions of pounds or, in extreme cases, seek court orders to block access to platforms in the UK. While such powers have never been used to ban a major social media company, officials have not ruled out enforcement if X fails to comply.
The backlash has spread beyond Britain. Governments and regulators in the European Union, India, Malaysia, France and Brazil have condemned Grok’s ability to create non-consensual sexualised images and called for investigations. The European Commission has publicly criticised the tool, adding to mounting international pressure on X.
In response, X has said that anyone who uses or prompts Grok to generate illegal content will face the same consequences as users who upload illegal material directly. However, critics argue that safeguards should have been in place before the feature was launched.
The case is shaping up to be a major test of the UK’s Online Safety Act and a defining moment for how governments regulate generative AI tools. The outcome could set an important precedent for holding global tech platforms accountable for AI-driven harm.
09-01-2026
