UK regulator moves against Musk’s X over Grok deepfake porn

Britain’s media regulator has opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X, after its AI chatbot Grok was found to be generating sexualised deepfake images, including potentially illegal content involving children.

Ofcom said on Monday that reports about Grok’s image generation were “deeply concerning”, warning that the creation of nude deepfakes could amount to “intimate image abuse or pornography”, while any “sexualised images of children” could constitute “child sexual abuse material”.

The investigation will examine whether X has failed to meet its legal obligations under the UK’s Online Safety Act, which came into force in July. Ofcom said the probe follows the company’s response to an earlier request to explain what safeguards it had put in place to protect users.

The regulator, which has the authority to ban Grok in the UK, is under mounting political pressure to act. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last week that the images produced by the chatbot were “disgusting” and “unlawful”, adding that X needed to “get a grip” on the technology.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said it was vital that Ofcom complete its investigation swiftly, stressing that victims and the public would not tolerate delays. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said he had raised the issue with US Vice President JD Vance, who, according to Lammy, agreed the situation was unacceptable.

Asked for comment, X referred AFP to a previous statement in which it said it takes action against illegal content “by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary”.

Downing Street has also signalled that it is prepared to stop using X altogether if Musk’s company fails to address the issue.

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms hosting harmful content must implement strict age-verification measures, such as facial recognition tools or credit card checks. The law makes it illegal to create or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated sexual deepfakes.

Ofcom can impose fines of up to 10 percent of a company’s global revenue for serious breaches. Asked whether X could be banned outright, Business Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Yes, of course”, while noting that the decision would rest with the regulator.

Grok appeared to respond to the backlash by announcing a new monetisation policy last week, saying image generation would be “limited to paying subscribers”. Starmer dismissed the move as inadequate, calling it “not a solution” and an insult to victims.

Musk, meanwhile, has accused the UK government of fascism and of trying to suppress free speech.

Grok, developed by Musk’s AI company xAI, launched an advanced image generation feature in July last year. Its rapid spread as a tool for creating nude deepfakes in recent weeks has triggered condemnation not only in the UK but also in several other countries, as regulators grapple with how to rein in AI systems capable of producing illegal and abusive content at scale.