Individuals who create or attempt to create non-consensual intimate images will face criminal prosecution under a new law coming into force this week. The move coincides with a major regulatory investigation into the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, over its AI chatbot Grok generating sexualised deepfakes, including images of children.
New Criminal Offence to Target Abuse at Source
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced to the House of Commons that the legislation, part of the progressing Crime and Policing Bill, will make it illegal to produce or seek to produce intimate imagery without consent. The law will also criminalise companies that supply tools specifically designed to create such material, aiming to tackle the problem at its origin.
Kendell described the images generated by tools like Grok as "weapons of abuse," highlighting their devastating impact. "Lives can and have been devastated by this content which is designed to harass, torment and violate people's dignity," she told MPs. "They are not harmless images. They're weapons of abuse, disproportionately aimed at women and girls, and they are illegal."
Ofcom Launches Formal Investigation into X
Simultaneously, the media regulator Ofcom has initiated a formal investigation into X. The probe will determine if the platform has failed its legal duties under the Online Safety Act regarding the prevention of illegal content. If found in breach, Ofcom can impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of X's global revenue, alongside other disruptive measures like severing payment and advertising services.
The investigation follows "urgent contact" made by Ofcom last week with X and its owner Elon Musk's AI firm, xAI, over "serious concerns" that Grok had been used to create sexualised images of children on the platform. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) confirmed its analysts had discovered criminal imagery of children aged 11-13 that appeared to be created using Grok, shared on a dark web forum.
Pressure for Swift Action and Platform Response
Kendall warned Ofcom that its investigation "must not take months and months," urging swift action for victims. She also challenged X to act immediately, stating the platform did not need to wait for the investigation's conclusion to remove "abhorrent and illegal material."
In response to the scandal, X announced that creating deepfakes with Grok would become a "premium service," requiring payment. This move was dismissed by Downing Street as "an insult to victims of misogyny and sexual violence." Kendall similarly criticised the approach, likening it to "monetising abuse."
Earlier this month, a post on Grok's official X account acknowledged "lapses in safeguards" were being "urgently fixed," stating that child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is "illegal and prohibited." Elon Musk added that anyone using Grok to make illegal content would face the same consequences as if they uploaded it.
The government has also stated it will "keep our participation on X under review" following calls from some MPs for the Labour party to cease using the platform.
