A confrontation is escalating between the UK government and Elon Musk after regulators warned they could block access to X over alleged failures to comply with online safety laws tied to AI-generated sexual imagery.
UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall says she would support the national regulator Ofcom if it decides to block X in the UK, following reports that the platform’s AI chatbot Grok digitally undressed people without their consent when prompted beneath images, BBC reports.
“Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent.”
She adds that the public expects swift regulatory action.
“I, and more importantly the public, would expect to see Ofcom update on next steps in days, not weeks.”
Kendall says the government would fully back enforcement under the Online Safety Act if X fails to comply.
“[The Online Safety Act] includes the power to block services from being accessed in the UK if they refuse to comply with UK law. If Ofcom decides to use those powers, they will have our full support.”
An Ofcom spokesperson confirms it has already contacted X and demanded an explanation.
“We urgently made contact on Monday and set a firm deadline of today to explain themselves, to which we have received a response.”
The regulator says it is now conducting an expedited assessment and will provide further updates shortly.
Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has the authority to seek court orders that could prevent third parties from helping X raise money or even block access to the platform in the UK. These business disruption powers remain largely untested.
X has since limited the use of the controversial AI image feature to paying subscribers, a move that Downing Street described as “insulting” to victims of sexual violence. Earlier this week, xAI acknowledged lapses in its safeguards but noted that changes were underway.
In a new X post, Musk says that the UK is targeting the social media site as it stands for freedom of speech, highlighting that other AI platforms, such as Gemini and ChatGPT, can also undress women in bikinis.
“They want any excuse for censorship.”
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