A Labour MP has expressed profound confusion over the government's continued presence on the social media platform X, following stark warnings from a Cabinet minister that sexualised images generated by its AI tool, Grok, constitute "weapons of abuse".
MPs Demand Action on 'Red Line' for Social Media Platforms
Charlotte Nichols, the MP for Warrington North, directly challenged Technology Secretary Liz Kendall in the House of Commons to define the precise threshold that would force the government to abandon X for its official communications. Ms Nichols, who left the platform herself in 2024, stated the public was "baffled" by the contradiction between the government's tough rhetoric on online safety and its ongoing use of X.
"If non-consensual deepfake pornography and child sex abuse imagery isn't the red line for the government to take its communications elsewhere, what is?" she demanded. In response, Ms Kendall acknowledged the concerns but suggested there was merit in ministers "keeping a voice" on a platform used by so many, echoing a point made by BBC Director-General Tim Davie.
Starmer's Ultimatum and Ofcom's Investigation
The parliamentary exchange coincided with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer issuing a direct ultimatum to X owner Elon Musk. Addressing Labour backbenchers on Monday evening, Sir Keir condemned the actions of Grok and X as "absolutely disgusting and shameful".
He vowed the government would take "fast action", stating: "If X cannot control Grok, we will – and we'll do it fast because if you profit from harm and abuse, you lose the right to self-regulate."
Meanwhile, the UK's media regulator, Ofcom, has launched a formal investigation into whether X has breached UK law. This probe follows reports that Grok's advanced image generation feature, launched in July 2025, has been widely used to create and share sexualised depictions of women and children.
Graphic Testimonies Highlight Scale of Abuse
During the Commons debate, MPs provided harrowing details of the AI-generated content. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall described images of women "tied up and gagged, with bruises, covered in blood and much, much more".
Labour MP Jess Asato revealed she had been a victim, telling colleagues she was digitally "stripped into a bikini" without her consent. She called for the government to work with industry on AI watermarking and ways to prevent digital manipulation of personal images.
Ms Kendall confirmed the government would this week enact part of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, making it a criminal offence to create or request the creation of non-consensual intimate images. She emphasised these were not harmless images but "weapons of abuse" disproportionately targeting women and girls.
While the Conservative shadow technology secretary, Julia Lopez, welcomed Ofcom's investigation, she cautioned that an outright ban on X would be an "extraordinarily serious move" against a platform that also enables free exchange and democratic discourse.
