UK ministers are reportedly considering leaving the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, amid controversy over its AI tool Grok generating sexually explicit images, including of children. Anna Turley, Labour party chair and minister without portfolio, confirmed ongoing government discussions about the platform's use.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Turley stated: "X, first and foremost, has to get its act together and prevent this. It has the powers to do this, and we need to make sure there are firm consequences." She added that conversations are happening across government and within Labour about evaluating social media use.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said all options are on the table, including potential action by media regulator Ofcom under the Online Safety Act, which could lead to a de facto ban. "X has got to get a grip of this. And Ofcom has our full support to take action," Starmer said on Thursday.
Several MPs and committees, including the women and equalities committee, have already stopped using X. Former transport secretary Louise Haigh called for the government to leave the platform, calling continued use "unconscionable." However, some, like former Starmer communications director James Lyons, urge staying to engage with the platform's 500 million monthly active users.
X has since limited Grok's image creation to paid users only. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage declined to say whether he would stop taking payments from X, expressing concern but believing the company would listen to criticism.
