UK Launches Investigation Into Elon Musk’s X Over AI-Generated Sexual Images Involving Women and Children
The United Kingdom government has opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk-owned social media platform X over allegations that its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, was used to create sexualised deepfake images, escalating concerns around online safety and possible violations of British law.
PulseNets learnt that the UK media regulator, Ofcom, confirmed on Monday that it initiated the probe after reports emerged that Grok’s image-generation feature enabled users to produce and circulate sexualised images of women and minors through basic text prompts.
Describing the allegations as “deeply concerning,” the regulator warned that such content could fall under intimate image abuse or illegal pornography. Ofcom further noted that sexualised images involving children may amount to child sexual abuse material, PulseNets reported, citing information attributed to AFP.
PulseNets obtained by regulatory briefings that Ofcom formally contacted X on January 5, demanding clarification on the safeguards the company has put in place to protect users in the UK.
While the regulator declined to make public the substance of X’s response, it confirmed that the company replied within the required deadline. However, Ofcom said the ongoing investigation will determine whether the platform has “failed to comply with its legal obligations.”
The probe is being conducted under Britain’s Online Safety Act, which came into force in July. The legislation compels digital platforms hosting potentially harmful content to introduce robust age-verification systems, including mechanisms such as facial recognition technology or credit card verification.
The law also criminalises the production or distribution of non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material, explicitly covering AI-generated sexual deepfakes.
PulseNets reported that Ofcom has the power to impose penalties of up to 10 percent of a company’s global annual revenue if violations are established.
Amid mounting global criticism, Grok last week announced a revised monetisation policy, stating that access to its image-generation tool would be “restricted to paying subscribers,” alongside a link directing users to a premium subscription plan.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking on the development, condemned the move, describing it as “an affront to victims” and stressing that it was “not a solution.”
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International scrutiny of the AI tool has continued to intensify. PulseNets learnt that Indonesia became the first country to block access to Grok on Saturday, with Malaysia following suit on Sunday.
The European Commission has also confirmed that it is examining complaints linked to Grok, signalling the possibility of further regulatory action across the European Union.
