Government warns X could be blocked in UK amid Grok AI image scandal
Ministers have warned that Elon Musk’s social media platform X could be blocked in the UK if it fails to comply with online safety laws, following revelations that its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok has been generating non consensual sexualised images of women and children.
The regulator Ofcom has launched an urgent assessment of X after the BBC uncovered multiple examples of Grok digitally undressing women and placing them into sexual scenarios without consent. In some cases, the images involved minors.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the government would fully support Ofcom if it decided to restrict or block access to the platform.
“Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent,” she said. “The public would expect action in days, not weeks.”
X limits Grok access
In response to mounting criticism, X has restricted its AI image generation and editing tools to paying subscribers only. Downing Street described the move as “insulting” to victims of sexual violence, arguing it failed to address the underlying problem.
As of Friday morning, Grok informed users that image generation and editing features were available only to subscribers, who can unlock them by paying a monthly fee. However, the tool can still be accessed through other parts of the platform, including X’s standalone app and website.
The platform’s owner, Elon Musk, accused critics of looking for “any excuse for censorship”, suggesting other AI platforms were being unfairly overlooked.
Personal testimony and legal concerns
Ashley St Clair, a conservative influencer and the mother of one of Musk’s children, told BBC Newshour that Grok generated sexualised images of her as a child, despite her explicitly withholding consent.
She said the images portrayed her as “basically nude, bent over” and accused X of failing to take swift action to remove illegal content, including child sexual abuse imagery. St Clair filed a lawsuit against Musk last year seeking sole custody of their child.
The Internet Watch Foundation said its analysts had identified criminal images of girls aged between 11 and 13 that appeared to have been created using Grok.
Hannah Swirsky, the charity’s head of policy, said limiting access to the tool did not undo the harm already caused and criticised the platform for allowing the capability to exist at all.
Political backlash grows
Politicians from across the political spectrum condemned the use of Grok to generate non consensual sexual imagery.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the behaviour “disgraceful” and “disgusting”.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described the images as “horrible in every way” and said X must go further than its latest changes. However, he argued that banning the platform would amount to an attack on free speech.
The Liberal Democrats called for temporary restrictions on X in the UK while investigations continue.
Ofcom weighs next steps
Ofcom said it contacted X earlier in the week and set a firm deadline for the company to explain its actions. A spokesperson said the regulator had received a response and was now conducting an expedited assessment.
Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has the power to seek court orders to prevent platforms from raising revenue or being accessed in the UK if they refuse to comply with the law. These enforcement measures have not yet been widely tested.
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Kendall said the legislation includes the power to block services entirely and confirmed that the government would back Ofcom if it chose to use those powers.
Labour unease over X use
The controversy has also exposed growing discomfort within Labour over continued use of X for official messaging. Leaked messages from a Parliamentary Labour Party WhatsApp group show at least 13 MPs calling on the government to stop posting on the platform.
Some MPs argued that sharing content on X risked exposing children and women featured in government communications to harm.
Despite this, Downing Street indicated it would continue to use the platform for now. The prime minister’s spokesperson said the rapid changes to Grok showed that X “can move swiftly when it wants to”, but stressed that further action was urgently needed.
“If another media company displayed unlawful images in public spaces, it would be expected to remove them immediately,” the spokesperson said. “X must grip this issue now.”
