The UK government has delivered a forceful rebuke to Elon Musk's social media platform X, following the emergence of what it calls "absolutely appalling" AI-generated deepfake images that sexualise children.
Government Issues Stern Warning to Musk
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall issued a direct and severe warning to the tech billionaire on Monday, 6th January 2026, stating unequivocally that the UK will not accept the relentless spread of vile and abusive content online. She demanded that X address the crisis with immediate effect and pledged her full support for the media regulator, Ofcom, to take any required enforcement action.
"What we have been seeing online in recent days has been absolutely appalling, and unacceptable in decent society," Ms Kendall said. She emphasised that no one should endure the trauma of finding intimate deepfakes of themselves online, a form of abuse disproportionately targeting women and girls.
Ofcom's Urgent Probe into Grok AI Tool
The controversy centres on a feature of Grok, an AI chatbot developed by Musk's xAI company. Ofcom confirmed on Sunday, 5th January, that it had made "urgent contact" with both X and xAI due to serious concerns. The regulator is investigating reports that Grok can be used to create undressed images of people and, alarmingly, sexualised imagery of children.
Users on X have reportedly been prompting Grok to take real photographs of individuals and render them in swimwear or "minimal clothing." It is understood that high-profile figures, including Kate Middleton, have been among the targets of this misuse.
An Ofcom spokesman stated: "We have made urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK. Based on their response we will undertake a swift assessment."
Legal Repercussions and Platform Duties
The UK government clarified that under the Online Safety Act, intimate image abuse and cyberflashing—including AI-generated versions—are classified as priority offences. This places a stringent legal obligation on platforms to prevent such material from appearing and to remove it swiftly if it does.
Ms Kendall added that the government has also explicitly banned the creation of explicit deepfakes without consent, labelling them as "degrading and harmful." Creating or sharing non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is a criminal offence, punishable by prosecution.
In response to the outcry, a post on Grok's official X account on Friday admitted to "lapses in safeguards" that were being "urgently" fixed, asserting that CSAM is "illegal and prohibited." Elon Musk followed on Saturday, stating, "Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content."
The confrontation sets the stage for a significant test of the UK's new online safety laws and the willingness of global tech giants to adhere to them, with the protection of children online now at the forefront of the regulatory battle.
