By Emmanuel Bobby
The United Kingdom’s online safety regulator announced Monday that it has launched a formal investigation into X, citing concerns that the platform’s AI tool, Grok, has been “used to create and share undressed images of people,” including children.
Ofcom said it is conducting an expedited assessment and confirmed that X responded to requests for information on Friday. If the regulator determines that X violated U.K. law, it could impose penalties ranging from fines of up to 10% of the company’s global revenue to banning British companies from advertising on the platform or ordering internet providers to block access to X in the U.K.
The U.K. probe is part of a growing international backlash against Grok’s deepfake capabilities. Over the weekend, regulators in Indonesia and Malaysia temporarily blocked X, citing national laws that prohibit deepfakes and child sexual abuse material.
Mary Anne Franks, a law professor at George Washington University who studies nonconsensual pornography and has helped craft related legislation, said she does not expect immediate action from U.S. federal regulators. However, she said pressure from countries with stricter child protection laws could force X and its owner, Elon Musk, to rein in Grok.
“If there is some slowdown, I’m sure it’s because of the backlash,” Franks said, adding that differing international definitions of illegal child sexual abuse material are likely driving regulatory responses.
Last week, Grok began generating thousands of sexualized, AI-created images per hour using the faces of real people, according to research by deepfake analyst Genevieve Oh. Many of the images depicted identifiable women in bathing suits or revealing poses. Watchdog groups and researchers also reported that some of the images showed fully nude people, including children.
A spokesperson for the European Commission said the body has observed Grok generating sexualized images of children. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner said Friday that it had received reports of exploitative images created by Grok and requested clarification from X about its safeguards, noting it could issue takedown orders. Australia’s prime minister and opposition leader both publicly condemned the images.
Musk and X did not respond to requests for comment. While X has said it prohibits illegal content, the company has not publicly committed to major changes to Grok’s image-generation features. The creation and possession of child sexual abuse material is illegal worldwide, and many countries also outlaw the creation of sexualized images of adults without consent.
Early Friday, X restricted the Grok reply bot—one driver of the deepfake trend—to premium subscribers, though users can still generate images through Grok’s standalone app and other interfaces. While the volume of such images on X appears to have declined, critics say the move merely placed the ability to generate harmful content behind a paywall.
Ofcom said its investigation will focus on whether X promptly removed illegal content once it became aware of it and whether the company conducted proper risk assessments before making significant changes to its service.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Ofcom has the government’s full backing to act.
“This is disgraceful. It’s disgusting. And it’s not to be tolerated,” Starmer said. “X has got to get a grip of this.”
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has also reportedly warned X that it may be violating Indian law, though the ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
It remains unclear whether U.S. regulators will pursue action. The Federal Trade Commission declined to comment, and the Justice Department said only that it remains committed to holding those who exploit technology to harm vulnerable people accountable. Several state attorneys general have also declined to say whether they are considering charges.
Musk has long advocated for looser content moderation on X and through his AI company, xAI, which powers Grok. On Friday, he argued that reports of potential action by the U.K. government amounted to censorship.
European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said Monday that the commission has given X an ultimatum to stop the production of child sexual abuse material, calling any comparison between free speech and AI-generated abuse “dangerous nonsense.”
In December, the European Commission fined X $140 million for violating EU laws on hate speech and misinformation, a move criticized by senior Trump administration officials as an attack on American free speech.
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