Britain weighs X ban after Grok allegedly produces inappropriate images

Elon Musk is looking at a potential ban of the X app in Britain over alleged inappropriate images that appeared online on the dark web, with users claiming that they were generated by the Grok AI chatbot. The UK’s internet watchdog, Ofcom, was asked to table all options, including fines totaling billions or even blocking access to the X app altogether. 

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) charity revealed that its analysts had discovered images of young girls aged between 11 and 13, which appeared to have been generated by Grok on a dark website. According to the media regulator Office of Communications (Ofcom), the imagery constituted illegal child sexual abuse material. 

Kier Starmer urges Ofcom to place all options on the table

UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer asked the Office of Communications (Ofcom), the UK’s internet watchdog, to table all options on the table while considering Musk’s case after his xAI’s app Grok allegedly generated criminal imagery of young women and children. According to a report by the Telegraph, the UK’s Online Safety Act allows the country to fine X app billions, or even block access to X in Britain. 

X app has over 650 million users worldwide, with at least 20 million from the UK. Prime Minister Starmer warned on Greatest Hits Radio that X should get its act together and take the material down, adding that action will be taken against Musk’s app because it’s simply not tolerable. He warned after multiple images of women and children appeared undressed with others in bikinis, and were allegedly generated by the Grok AI chatbot. 

“X has got to get a grip of this, and Ofcom has our full support to take action in relation to this. This is wrong. It’s unlawful. We’re not going to tolerate it. I’ve asked for all options to be on the table.”

-Kier Starmer, UK Prime Minister 

So far, the regulator is expected to follow due legal process before applying the ban, including investigations and provisional rulings. If X fails to address Ofcom’s concerns, the regulator may seek to block the site from the UK. Ofcom already contacted the social media platform this week, noting that it could launch an investigation into the images. 

Musk believes OSA’s intent is the suppression of the people

Musk has previously criticized Britain’s Online Safety Act (OSA), claiming that its intent is the suppression of the people. According to Musk, the UK’s OSA risks infringing on free speech through its measures to protect children from harmful content. Musk noted that the act’s ‘laudable’ intentions included aggressive implementation through Ofcom.

Alexander Ngaire, Head of Hotline at Internet Watch Foundation charity, told BBC that tools like Grok risked bringing sexual AI imagery for children into mainstream media. She classified the material as Category C under UK law, the lowest category for criminal purposes. She added that the user who uploaded the images had used a different AI tool, not Grok, to create a Category A image, considered the most serious criminal material.  

According to Ngaire, IWF is concerned about the ease and speed with which people can generate photo-realistic child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The foundation aims to remove such material from the internet through a hotline where suspected CSAM is reported, and its analysts assess its legality and severity. IWF’s analysts found that the material appeared only on the dark web and was not found on the X platform. 

According to X, action will be taken against illegal content on its platform, including CSAM, by removing it and permanently suspending accounts, as well as working with local governments and law enforcement where necessary. The social platform warns that anyone who prompts Grok to create illegal content will face the same consequences as if they had uploaded it. 

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