Elon Musk has defiantly claimed that critics of his platform X are seeking "any excuse for censorship," as the social media giant faces potential shutdowns worldwide over its AI chatbot Grok generating sexualised deepfake images, including of children.
Global Condemnation and Regulatory Action
The controversy erupted following reports that users of X's Grok AI could create manipulated, sexualised imagery of real people without their consent. Governments and regulators from Europe to Asia have condemned the practice, with many launching urgent investigations. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has joined other world leaders in demanding Musk take immediate action to halt the spread of this content.
Women who spoke to The Independent described feeling "violated and humiliated" after discovering "dehumanising" AI-generated images of themselves. The backlash has focused sharply on Grok's ability to produce child abuse material and to digitally "undress" photographs of real women and girls.
UK Government and Ofcom's Stance
In the UK, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall stated she would fully support regulator Ofcom if it decided to effectively block X for failing to comply with British law. "Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent," she declared. Kendall emphasised that it was "totally unacceptable" for Grok to allow such image generation for paying subscribers and expected an update on Ofcom's next steps within "days, not weeks."
Ofcom, wielding powers under the Online Safety Act, is conducting an expedited assessment. The regulator can impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue, take criminal action, and ultimately order service providers to cut ties with a platform, effectively banning it with court approval.
Downing Street dismissed a recent move by X to restrict image manipulation via Grok to paid subscribers as "not a solution," calling it insulting to victims. A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the change merely proved X "can move swiftly when it wants to do so" and reiterated that the platform must "act now."
International Fallout and Musk's Response
The international reaction has been swift and severe. Indonesia became the first country to temporarily block Grok on Saturday 10th January, citing the risk of AI-generated pornographic content as a serious violation of human rights and digital security. The European Commission has extended a data retention order for X, demanding all internal documents related to Grok be preserved until the end of 2026.
Nations including France, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Australia, India, and Malaysia have all initiated legal steps, summoned X officials, or opened probes into the AI-generated obscene content. German media minister Wolfram Weimer warned the issue risked becoming the "industrialisation of sexual harassment."
In response to the mounting pressure, Musk shared a post from US legislator Anna Paulina Luna threatening sanctions against the UK and Sir Keir Starmer if X were blocked. He pointed to claims that other AI programmes create non-sexualised images of women in bikinis, posting: "They want any excuse for censorship." X has stated it takes action against illegal content, including permanently suspending accounts and working with law enforcement.
The UK government also highlighted upcoming legislation, with powers to criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent set to come into force in the coming weeks as part of the Crime and Policing Bill.
