UK considers blocking X over Grok’s AI-generated sexualized images

Elon Musk’s X is facing increased scrutiny in the UK amid the growing backlash against Grok generating explicit images of women and children.

The UK media regulator, Ofcom, is urgently reviewing the matter of a wave of sexualized AI images on X featuring digitally de-clothed people, primarily women, without their consent.

Governments around the world have condemned the images and have called on X to comply with digital laws to avoid operational and legal consequences.

Ofcom has already made urgent contact with X and set the deadline for the platform to explain itself by Friday, and has since received a response. It is now undertaking an "expedited assessment" of the situation “as a matter of urgency”.

According to the BBC, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced that she would support Ofcom’s move to block X if it fails to comply with UK online safety laws.

"Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent,” Kendall said.

"I, and more importantly the public, would expect to see Ofcom update on next steps in days not weeks."

Kendall explained that the Online Safety Act "includes the power to block services from being accessed in the UK, if they refuse to comply with UK law" and "if Ofcom decide to use those powers they will have our full support".

If the firm fails to comply, Ofcom can seek a court order to block access to X in the UK and prevent payment providers, advertisers, and other third parties from working with the platform, disrupting its revenue streams in the UK.

These measures are available under the law, yet to date, they have not been widely tested in practice. Andrew Murray, a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science, told Cybernews that financial penalties and business disruption are unlikely.

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“Investigations take time, and the politics of taking interventionist measures against X by Ofcom in the current climate would make such actions a political hot potato.”

Replying to a user post on X criticizing the move, Musk said: "They want any excuse for censorship.”

After the backlash and threats of regulatory action, Grok restricted its image generation feature to paying subscribers only.