On 12th January, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, warned that the social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, could lose its ability to self regulate if it fails to control the misuse of Grok. While speaking to Labour MPs, Starmer said, “If X cannot control Grok, we will,” signalling swift government action.
According to media reports, the UK government is set to bring into force long pending legislation that will make it a criminal offence to create or request non-consensual intimate images using artificial intelligence. The development has come amid mounting concerns over X and its AI chatbot Grok creating deepfake sexual images of women without their consent, which were available to be viewed publicly on the social media platform.
Notably, X has recently taken down thousands of posts and suspended over 600 accounts after the Indian government warned of legal action against X for publicly publishing obscene images of women.
Ofcom probe and regulatory pressure on X
The warning from the UK government came hours after Ofcom announced an investigation into X over deeply concerning reports of Grok being used to digitally alter images of people, especially women, without consent. If violations are established, the regulator can impose fines of up to 10% of X’s global turnover or £18 million, whichever is higher. In extreme cases, Ofcom can seek court orders to block access to the platform in the UK.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall urged Ofcom to avoid delays and publish a clear timeline for the probe, stressing that enforcement must not drag on for months.
Long delayed law to be enforced this week
Notably, deepfake intimate images are already illegal in the UK. However, provisions under the Data Use and Access Act, passed in June 2025, criminalising their creation had not been enforced. Following criticism from campaigners, Kendall told Parliament the offence would be brought into force this week and treated as a priority under the Online Safety Act.
Kendall called such AI generated content “weapons of abuse” and said platforms hosting it would be held accountable alongside individual offenders. The government also plans to criminalise the supply of nudification and similar tools, targeting the problem at its source.
Global backlash and free speech claims
The controversy follows a wider international backlash against Grok, with Malaysia and Indonesia temporarily blocking access to the tool. Responding to criticism, Elon Musk claimed the UK government was seeking “any excuse for censorship”, a charge Kendall rejected, saying the measures were about tackling violence against women and girls, not restricting free speech.
X removed 600+ accounts for creating deepfakes of women
On 11th January, Social media platform X admitted that there were lapses in handling content on its platform and has assured the Modi government that it will operate fully in line with Indian laws. Government sources said the assurance was given after strong action by authorities over the spread of obscene and sexually explicit content linked to X’s AI chatbot, Grok.
As part of the corrective steps, X has blocked around 3,500 pieces of content and permanently deleted more than 600 accounts. The platform has also told the government that it will not allow obscene imagery or unlawful material to appear on the platform going forward. The action follows clear directions from the Modi government to clean up content generated and circulated through Grok.
X took the step after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) wrote to X, flagging serious failures in stopping sexually explicit and unlawful content on 2nd January.
