The UK government has threatened to block access to Elon Musk's social media platform X, following alarming reports that its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, can generate sexualised imagery of children.
Government Backs Regulator's Power to Block Platform
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall stated on Wednesday that she would fully support the communications regulator, Ofcom, if it chose to use its powers to prevent X from being accessed in Britain. Her strong stance comes under the recently enacted Online Safety Act, which grants Ofcom sweeping authority to tackle harmful online content.
"Ofcom would have the Government's full support if the regulator chose to use its powers under the Online Safety Act to block services from being accessed in the UK," Kendall declared, signalling a potential unprecedented move against one of the world's largest social networks.
Ofcom's Urgent Probe and X's Controversial Response
The crisis erupted earlier this week. On Monday, January 9, 2026, Ofcom confirmed it had made "urgent contact" with X after reports surfaced that users were exploiting Grok's image generation capabilities to create deepfake pornographic images, including of minors.
In response to the scandal, X, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, reportedly placed the AI image generation feature behind a paywall. This move, however, sparked further condemnation from the UK government. A Downing Street spokesperson criticised the change, arguing it effectively made the creation of harmful deepfakes a "premium service" and was "insulting" to victims of misogyny and sexual violence.
A Defining Test for Online Safety Laws
This incident represents one of the first major tests of the UK's robust Online Safety Act. The government's willingness to consider blocking a global platform underscores the seriousness with which it views the alleged failures in content moderation, particularly concerning child safety.
The situation remains fluid, with Ofcom's investigation ongoing. The regulator now holds significant power to demand changes from X and, if unsatisfied with the response, to pursue severe penalties including substantial fines and the potential restriction of the service's availability to UK users.
The controversy places immense pressure on X's leadership to demonstrate swift and effective action to prevent the misuse of its AI tools, balancing innovation with critical safeguarding responsibilities.
