Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has issued a direct demand for the social media platform X to fall in line with British legislation "immediately", following a major controversy involving its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok.
Prime Minister's Stern Warning on Consent and Safety
In his first post on the platform since 8 January, Sir Keir welcomed reports that X had imposed new restrictions on Grok but stressed that compliance with the law was non-negotiable. He framed the issue as a fundamental matter of values and safety, stating that free speech "is not the freedom to violate consent."
"Young women's images are not public property, and their safety is not up for debate," the Prime Minister wrote on X. Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to Scotland, he condemned the AI-generated content as "disgusting, absolutely disgusting" and pledged that the government would not back down.
X's Response and Ongoing Scrutiny
The confrontation stems from Grok's ability to produce sexualised images of real people, including women and children. Under mounting pressure from the UK's communications regulator, Ofcom, and facing bans in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, X announced new measures on Wednesday night.
The company said it would geoblock the generation of images of real people in revealing clothing in jurisdictions where such actions are illegal, including the UK. It also stated it would prevent Grok from editing images of people in such attire. However, this geoblocking could potentially be bypassed using a VPN.
Sir Keir said he was "glad" action had been taken but warned, "we're not going to let this go." He signalled a readiness to toughen existing laws if necessary and highlighted broader concerns about children's online safety.
Broader Implications for Online Protection
The Prime Minister indicated his government is examining all options to better shield young people from social media harms, including a potential Australia-style ban for under-16s. He also expressed specific concern about screen time for under-fives, claiming his is the first government to take action on this issue.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall echoed the firm stance, vowing not to rest until all platforms meet their legal duties. Meanwhile, Ofcom confirmed its investigation, launched on Monday, will continue despite X's new restrictions, seeking "answers into what went wrong and what's being done to fix it."
Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said the episode demonstrated that pressure from campaigners and governments could force tech giants to act. She called for more proactive government measures, arguing that platforms cannot be "left to regulate themselves."
X's owner, Elon Musk, had previously claimed Grok was designed to refuse illegal content and suggested "adversarial hacking" was to blame for the offensive images.
