A senior United States diplomat has issued a stark warning to the United Kingdom, comparing its threats to ban the social media platform X to the censorship tactics of Vladimir Putin's Russia. The row centres on the platform's use of artificial intelligence to create sexualised deepfake images.
Diplomatic Firestorm Over AI-Generated Content
Sarah Rogers, the US Under-Secretary for Public Diplomacy, launched the criticism in a series of messages, accusing the UK of "contemplating a Russia-style X ban, to protect them from bikini images." This intervention from Donald Trump's free speech tsar elevates the dispute from a regulatory issue to a diplomatic spat.
The controversy was ignited after Technology Secretary Liz Kendall stated that the Government would fully support regulator Ofcom if it decided to implement a ban on accessing X from the UK. This drastic measure is under consideration due to X's own AI system, Grok, being used to create and share deepfake images, including depictions of undressed individuals and sexualised images of children.
Government Draws "Unbreakable Line" Against Tech Giants
In a column for the Sunday Telegraph, Ms Kendall set out the Government's firm stance. "We are drawing an unbreakable line in the sand and telling tech firms, in no uncertain terms, that platforms profiting from abuse will never be acceptable," she wrote. She emphasised that innovation must serve humanity, not degrade it, and warned that companies choosing "greed over responsibility" would face the full force of the law.
Kendall pointed to powers within the Online Safety Act that allow courts to block services in the UK if they refuse to comply with domestic law. "If we reach a point where Ofcom decides to use them, they will have the full support of this Government," she affirmed. Ofcom is currently conducting an "expedited assessment" of the responses from both X and xAI, the company behind Grok.
Clashing Perspectives: Free Speech vs. Safety
The owner of both X and xAI, Elon Musk, has responded with fierce accusations, labelling the UK Government as "fascist" and claiming it "just want[s] to suppress free speech." He alleged the Government "want[s] any excuse for censorship," reacting to a chart showing the UK with high arrest figures for online posts.
However, the UK's Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, presented a different view following a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday, 8th January 2026. Lammy told The Guardian he raised the "horrendous, horrific situation" of AI-manipulated images of women and children, which he called "absolutely abhorrent." He reported that Vance agreed the situation was "entirely unacceptable" and was sympathetic to the UK's position on tackling the issue.
The standoff highlights the global tension between rapid AI innovation, online safety regulations, and the fundamental principle of free speech. With a US official invoking Russia and a leading tech billionaire accusing the UK of fascism, the debate over X's future access in Britain has reached a fever pitch.
