The UK government is poised to take drastic action against Elon Musk's social media platform X, with a potential ban on its official use following revelations that its integrated artificial intelligence tool was used to generate sexualised deepfake images of children.
Ofcom's Urgent Investigation into Grok AI
This week, the UK's media regulator, Ofcom, made "urgent contact" with both X and Musk's AI company, xAI. The contact was prompted by "serious concerns" that the AI chatbot Grok had been exploited to produce illegal and deeply disturbing content. The regulator confirmed it was aware of a feature within Grok that could create undressed images of individuals and sexualised depictions of children.
Downing Street has thrown its full weight behind Ofcom, stating that "all options were on the table" regarding the government's relationship with the platform. This includes a possible boycott, mirroring the existing ban on TikTok for government devices. The Prime Minister's official spokesman branded the situation a "disgrace" and "completely unacceptable."
Government and Tech Secretary Issue Stern Warnings
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall directly ordered Musk's firm to address the crisis "urgently." She pledged the government's complete support for Ofcom to take any necessary enforcement action, which could include fines of up to billions of pounds or even restricting access to the site. "Make no mistake - the UK will not tolerate the endless proliferation of disgusting and abusive material online," Kendall stated.
The scandal emerged after users of X reportedly prompted Grok, which is integrated into the platform, to generate images of children "in minimal clothing." In response, a post on Grok's official X account on Friday, 6th January 2026, admitted the company had "identified lapses in safeguards and are urgently fixing them." It explicitly noted that child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is illegal and prohibited on the platform.
Musk and xAI's Response to the Crisis
Elon Musk himself commented on Saturday, 7th January, warning that "Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content." xAI, responding to an article about Minister Kendall's comments, said it appreciated the feedback and was "actively enhancing Grok's safeguards to prevent harmful content." The company claimed it was committed to compliance and supporting a safer online environment.
Prior to the controversy, on Wednesday, 4th January, Musk announced a new version of Grok had been released, urging users to update their apps. The specifics of the update and whether it related to the safeguarding issues were not disclosed.
The UK government's strong stance underscores a hardening approach towards tech giants failing to protect users, particularly children, from AI-generated harms. With Ofcom's new online safety powers now in effect, this incident represents a critical test of the regulator's ability to hold powerful platforms to account.
