Business Secretary Peter Kyle has warned that Elon Musk's X platform is not doing enough to protect users, as the UK government signals support for potential Ofcom action over the mass production of sexualised AI images of women and children. Kyle stated that the government would fully back any measures taken by the media regulator, including the possibility of blocking X in the UK.
Ofcom has received information from X as part of a fast-tracked investigation into the platform's built-in AI tool, Grok, which has been used to generate manipulated images depicting people in minimal clothing or sexualised poses. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall is expected to give a statement to the Commons on Monday afternoon, having indicated that action from Ofcom could come within days.
Kyle described it as 'appalling' that X had not properly tested Grok, given its capacity to manipulate images and its potential impact on women. He recounted meeting a Jewish woman who found an AI-generated image of herself in a bikini outside Auschwitz online, calling it 'appalling' that the company had not considered the consequences.
Ofcom has launched an 'expedited inquiry' and has powers ranging from heavy fines to seeking a court order to block X in the UK. Kyle said the government stands fully behind Ofcom's ability to take such action. Any move to block X would likely provoke a strong response from Musk and the Trump administration, with a US official comparing the potential ban to censorship in Russia.
Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom can compel platforms to address harmful material and issue multimillion-pound fines, with the ultimate sanction being a court order requiring internet providers to block a site or app. On Friday, X announced it would limit Grok's image generation to paying subscribers, but Downing Street described this as unacceptable, arguing it turns a feature enabling unlawful images into a premium service.
