Elon Musk’s X platform has committed to blocking UK access to accounts linked to banned terrorist groups under an agreement with Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, to crack down on terrorist and hate content.
Commitments Under the Agreement
X will also review suspected illegal terrorist and hate content within 48 hours and seek expert advice on handling user reports of such material. The UK’s media regulator, Ofcom, announced these commitments as part of a broader effort to ensure social media platforms have adequate systems to address dangerous content.
Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom’s online safety group director, stated: “Following intensive engagement carried out by Ofcom’s online safety team, X have committed to implementing stronger protections for UK users, which we will now monitor closely.” He emphasised that the issue of online terrorist and hate content has become more pressing following a series of hate crimes against the UK’s Jewish community.
Specific Measures
Under the agreement, X will block UK access to accounts that post illegal terrorist content and are linked to proscribed terrorist organisations. Additionally, X will review at least 85% of illegal terrorist and hate content flagged by its reporting tool within 48 hours. The UK’s Online Safety Act aims to protect people from illegal content, including terror- and hate-related material.
Ofcom continues its investigation into X for using the Grok AI tool, also owned by Musk, to manipulate images depicting women and girls as partially unclothed.
Reactions
Danny Stone, chief executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, called the agreement a “good start” but noted that X is still “failing in so many regards” to tackle racism on its platform. Adam Hadley, executive director of Tech Against Terrorism, described the announcement as a “powerful example of what constructive dialogue between regulators and platforms can deliver.”
X has faced regular criticism over its moderation since Musk acquired the platform, formerly Twitter, for $44bn in 2022. Last year, Amnesty International accused X of creating a “staggering amplification of hate” during riots following the Southport murders in 2024. X declined to comment.
