X faces threat of being effectively blocked in the United Kingdom as regulators probe its AI chatbot Grok over reports it generated sexualized deepfake images — including of children — at users’ request. Owner Elon Musk has denounced the backlash, saying critics “want any excuse for censorship.”
The UK’s communications regulator, Ofcom, said it has launched an expedited assessment following urgent contact with X and is weighing enforcement under the Online Safety Act. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said she would support Ofcom if it moved to restrict access to X in Britain should the platform fail to comply with UK law, calling the sexual manipulation of images of women and children “despicable and abhorrent.”
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In response to mounting criticism, X appears to have adjusted Grok’s image-editing settings, telling some users that only paid subscribers can request certain manipulations. But reports indicate the change is limited — applying mainly to requests made in replies to posts — and that other avenues for creating or editing images, including through a separate Grok website, remained accessible.
Ireland’s Minister of State for AI, Niamh Smyth, dismissed the paywall change as “window dressing” and said X has agreed to meet her in the coming weeks after she requested talks. Ireland’s Children’s Ombudsman, Dr. Niall Muldoon, said the update “makes no major difference.” Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, said it is coordinating with the European Commission over the concerns around Grok and image generation.
Musk struck a defiant tone on X, amplifying posts that framed regulatory scrutiny as censorship. He also shared a message from U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna threatening to push sanctions against Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the UK if X were blocked there. “They want any excuse for censorship,” Musk posted, pointing to claims that competitors’ AI tools can produce non-sexualized images of women in bikinis.
Ofcom has sweeping powers under the Online Safety Act, including fines of up to £18 million or 10% of a company’s global revenue, as well as criminal action. With court approval, the regulator can also order payment providers, advertisers and internet service providers to stop working with a platform — steps that would amount to an effective ban. Kendall said she expects an update on Ofcom’s next steps “in days, not weeks.”
X has said it acts against illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, by removing it, permanently suspending accounts and working with law enforcement and governments. The current controversy centers on allegations that Grok, X’s AI assistant, produced sexualized deepfake content and manipulated images to remove clothing, including from photos of real women and girls.
UK officials are also moving on the broader legal landscape around synthetic sexual content. Kendall pointed to plans to ban so-called “nudification” apps in the Crime and Policing Bill currently before Parliament. Powers to criminalize the creation of intimate images without consent are due to come into force in the coming weeks.
The scrutiny underscores a widening clash between rapid AI deployment and tightening safety rules in Europe. For X, the regulatory timeline is narrowing: any perception that Grok’s guardrails remain porous could invite fast escalation from Ofcom and further pressure from Irish and EU authorities. For UK policymakers, the case is a test of whether new online safety powers can curb the spread of abusive AI-generated images without stifling legitimate speech.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
