Ofcom, the UK media regulator, has launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X (formerly Twitter) over the use of its Grok AI tool to generate non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The probe, conducted under the Online Safety Act 2023, follows a public and political outcry after users manipulated the AI to remove clothing from images of women and children.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall condemned the content as 'vile' and 'illegal', affirming the government's full support for Ofcom's enforcement powers. 'X does not have to wait for the Ofcom investigation to conclude – they can choose to act sooner to ensure this abhorrent and illegal material cannot be shared on their platform,' she told MPs. Ofcom stated it is treating the case as a 'matter of the highest priority' and will examine whether X failed to assess risks of illegal content and take appropriate preventive measures.
The investigation focuses on whether X breached the Online Safety Act by not adequately preventing users from viewing illegal content, including intimate image abuse and CSAM. Grok, integrated into X, allows users to prompt it to alter clothed images into sexually suggestive poses. Ofcom has the power to impose fines of up to 10% of global revenue or, in extreme cases, seek court orders to block access to the platform in the UK.
Labour MP Jess Asato, a campaigner against AI nudification, reported ongoing abuse on X as of Monday, with explicit images created via Grok and other AI apps posted in response to her criticism of the platform. The government also plans to introduce new legislation making it illegal to create non-consensual intimate images, not just share them, addressing delays in enforcing the existing law passed last June.
