Sources within Downing Street have declared Elon Musk's decision to impose new restrictions on his AI chatbot, Grok, a clear "vindication" for Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The move by Musk's company, X, follows a major controversy over the tool's ability to generate sexualised images of real people.
Outcry Leads to Swift Policy Change
The controversy erupted over reports that Grok was being used to manipulate images of children, leading to sexualised content. This prompted the UK media regulator, Ofcom, to launch a formal investigation into X on Monday, 13 January 2026. In response to the growing public and regulatory pressure, X announced it would clamp down on the AI's capabilities.
The company stated it had imposed restrictions on "editing images of real people in revealing clothes such as bikinis". In a subsequent statement on the platform, X said it would "geoblock the ability of all users to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear, and similar attire" in jurisdictions where such actions are illegal.
Political Pressure and Ongoing Scrutiny
Prime Minister Keir Starmer had personally condemned Grok's output as "disgusting" and "shameful" on Wednesday, 14 January, vowing that the Government would not "back down" if X failed to act. Following news of the restrictions, a Number 10 source said: "This is a vindication for Keir Starmer who has shown he will always stand up for the people of this country – including the vulnerable – against the most powerful."
While Ofcom welcomed the reported changes, it emphasised that its investigation remains active. A spokesperson said: "We are working round the clock to progress this and get answers into what went wrong and what’s being done to fix it." The regulator seeks to understand the full scope of the failure and the efficacy of X's corrective measures.
Limitations and Remaining Loopholes
The new policy will apply to all X users, including those with paid subscriptions, though image editing and creation features will be limited to premium users. The geoblocking technique, however, presents a potential loophole, as users could potentially circumvent the restriction by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Elon Musk had previously asserted that Grok was designed to refuse illegal content and suggested "adversarial hacking" was to blame for the scandal. The company's latest statement claims the geoblocking adds "an extra layer of protection by helping to ensure that individuals who attempt to abuse the Grok account to violate the law or our policies can be held accountable." The situation continues to develop as regulators and the government monitor the implementation of these new deepfake restrictions.
