UK Investigates Musk’s X Over Grok Deepfake Concerns
London: Britain’s media regulator launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s
The British government has said a new law making it a crime to create sexual deepfakes will come into force this week to combat what it calls “weapons of harassment” images.
Technology Minister Liz Kendall told MPs on Monday that the government was also planning legislation that would tackle the problem at the source by making it illegal for companies to provide tools designed to create deepfakes.
The Ofcom investigation is piling additional pressure on the social media platform of the world’s richest man, which is facing a growing public backlash alongside criminal and regulatory investigations around the world from France to India.
“Reports that Grok was used to create and share illegal, non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X are deeply concerning,” he said in a statement.
The regulator said platforms must protect people in Britain from illegal content and said it “will not hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing to fulfill their duties, particularly where there is a risk of harm to children.”
When asked about the investigation on Monday,
“Anyone who uses or encourages Grok to create illegal content will be subject to the same consequences as if they had uploaded illegal content,” he said.
Starmer: Grok images ‘disgusting’ and ‘illegal’
The regulator is under pressure to take action after Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the footage “disgusting” and “illegal” on Thursday. He said Musk’s X should “control” Grok.
Following initial action against porn sites without effective age checks, the Grok case will be the first major test of the UK’s online safety law, which comes into force in 2023 but is being phased in by Ofcom.
Asked on Monday whether X could be banned, Business Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Yes, of course” but noted Ofcom had the power to do so.
Musk wrote on X on Saturday that the British government “simply wants to stifle free speech” by focusing on Grok and X.
Kendall said Monday it was not a free speech issue.
“This is about tackling violence against women and girls,” he told MPs.
“This is about exercising our sovereign power to uphold the core British values of kindness and respect, and to ensure that the standards we expect offline are upheld online.”
Victims and the public expect swift and decisive action from Ofcom, he said, adding that X could take action now to ensure illegal material is not shared on its platform.
Under online safety legislation, tech platforms are required to prevent UK users from encountering illegal content and to remove it when they become aware of it.
International reaction is growing
X has faced condemnation in other countries for this feature, which can produce images of women and minors in tight clothing.
French authorities reported X to prosecutors and regulators, calling the content “clearly illegal”, while Indian authorities also demanded an explanation. Indonesia and Malaysia temporarily blocked Grok over the weekend.
X said that requests for the people in the images to undress are limited to paying users.
Ofcom will investigate whether X failed to assess the risk of people in the UK seeing illegal content and whether it assessed that risk to children.
In the most serious cases of non-compliance, it may require a court to order “payment providers or advertisers to withdraw their services from a platform” or to request internet service providers to block access to a site in Britain.
