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Ofcom opens a formal probe into X\u2019s handling of AI\u2011generated sexually manipulated images amid escalating government pressure and potential platform bans, marking a significant escalation in online safety enforcement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Elon Musk\u2019s social media platform X is facing an accelerated regulatory showdown in the UK after Ofcom opened a formal investigation into whether the service has breached the Online Safety Act by allowing its built\u2011in AI tool, Grok, to generate and share sexually manipulated images of women and children. According to the report by The Independent, ministers have urged Ofcom to use its \u201cfull legal powers\u201d and the tech secretary Liz Kendall called the continued availability of the feature \u201can insult and totally unacceptable\u201d. [1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Ofcom said the probe will assess whether X has taken appropriate steps to prevent UK users seeing content that is illegal under UK law, including intimate images shared without consent and child sexual abuse material, and whether the platform removes such content swiftly when it becomes aware of it. The regulator described the matter as a highest\u2011priority investigation and warned platforms they must protect people in the UK from content that is illegal. [1]<\/a><\/sup>[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n The government has signalled it will back robust action. Business Secretary Peter Kyle has stated ministers support any enforcement steps Ofcom takes, including the possibility of blocking X in the UK, and the prime minister, Keir Starmer, has said all options remain on the table. According to reporting by The Guardian and CBS News, the government’s commissioner for victims of crime condemned X\u2019s response as making the service unsafe for victims. [3]<\/a><\/sup>[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom may seek a court order to require internet service providers to block access to non\u2011compliant platforms and to compel app stores to remove offending apps, a move that would effectively bar around 20 million UK users from X. The law also allows fines of up to \u00a318m or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, and criminal penalties for senior managers who do not comply with information requests. Industry analysts note these are among the strongest regulatory tools available to the UK regulator. [1]<\/a><\/sup>[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n The controversy has escalated after X limited the image\u2011editing function to paying users rather than removing it entirely, prompting fierce criticism from ministers and campaigners. Speaking in national coverage cited by The Independent, Liz Kendall said \u201cSexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent\u201d. Elon Musk responded on the platform by accusing the UK government of being \u201cfascist\u201d and of seeking to \u201csuppress free speech\u201d, while sharing an AI\u2011generated image of the prime minister in a bikini to his followers. The Independent report is the principal source for these exchanges. [1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Domestic concern follows earlier criticisms that X amplified misinformation and contributed to public disorder in 2024, which had already drawn calls for tougher oversight. According to The Guardian\u2019s coverage, those earlier episodes helped prompt parliamentary focus on online harms and informed the strengthened powers granted to Ofcom under the Online Safety Act at the end of March 2025. [2]<\/a><\/sup>[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n International responses have been mixed. The US State Department\u2019s under\u2011secretary for public diplomacy criticised the idea of a ban as heavy\u2011handed, while reporting by Al Jazeera and other outlets has highlighted the UK\u2019s insistence that online platforms are required to implement strict age verification and to prevent the creation and dissemination of sexual deepfakes. Observers say the case will test how regulators balance free speech concerns with the need to prevent non\u2011consensual and harmful AI\u2011generated imagery. [1]<\/a><\/sup>[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n As the formal investigation proceeds, Ofcom will give X an opportunity to respond to any provisional findings; potential next steps range from imposed compliance requirements to pursuit of a court order to block the service in the UK. Industry and legal analysts say the regulator’s decision will set an important precedent for how AI image tools are governed under current UK law. [4]<\/a><\/sup>[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\ud83d\udccc Reference Map:<\/h3>\n
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