Ireland's Minister for Media, Patrick O'Donovan, has publicly deactivated his account on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The decision, confirmed on Friday 9 January 2026, was driven by sustained personal abuse and profound discomfort with the platform's handling of AI-generated sexual imagery.
Abuse and AI Concerns Prompt Exit
Speaking to Limerick's Live 95 radio, Minister O'Donovan detailed his reasons for leaving. He stated that "over the last number of years really, I don't find it a platform that I would use to share information anymore." He explained that any communication, whether about departmental work or constituency matters, was inevitably met with a wave of abuse.
He directly linked his final decision to the recent controversy surrounding Grok, the artificial intelligence tool integrated into X by owner Elon Musk. The minister expressed deep unease about being on a platform where the creation of sexualised deepfakes was permitted. "I just don't feel comfortable with the fact that there's people that are going to use my image, or your image... and artificially generate something around it," he told the radio station.
Grok's Policy and Legal Scrutiny Intensifies
The minister's exit coincides with heightened scrutiny in both Ireland and the UK regarding Grok's capabilities. Users recently generated a spate of sexualised images, including depictions of children, prompting a major backlash. In response, the AI tool now informs users that requests to create such content will only be granted to paid subscribers, whose names and payment details are on file.
This development has triggered a significant legal and political response in Dublin. Niamh Smyth, the junior minister with responsibility for AI, stated unequivocally that images created through Grok on X had broken Irish law. "Whether they are real images or computer-generated... it is a criminal offence to distribute them on platforms," she asserted. Minister Smyth has requested a meeting with X representatives and warned of consequences for breaching the law.
Legal Examination and Broader Implications
The Irish Attorney General is now examining whether existing legislation provides adequate protection for citizens against such AI-generated content. This move signals a potential regulatory crackdown on how AI tools are governed on social media platforms within Irish jurisdiction.
While Minister O'Donovan clarified he was not calling for a wider boycott, his very public departure as a serving media minister places substantial pressure on X. It highlights the growing clash between rapidly evolving AI technology, platform governance, and national laws designed to protect individuals from harm and abuse.
