Labour MP ‘baffled’ government still uses X after minister calls Grok’s sexualised images ‘weapons of abuse’
A Labor MP was left “baffled” by the government’s decision to continue posting on X after a Cabinet minister warned that sexualised images created by Grok were a “weapon of abuse”.
Charlotte Nichols asked the technology secretary to identify the “red line” social media companies must cross before the government moves to alternative platforms; In her response, technology secretary Liz Kendall suggested it was virtuous for ministers to “maintain their voice” on such a widely used site.
Their calls come after Keir Starmer issued an ultimatum to Elon Musk and announced the government would “take swift action” to deal with the abuse of Grok, the billionaire’s artificial intelligence (AI) tool on the X platform.
Meanwhile, media watchdog Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether X broke UK laws following reports that the site’s chatbot was used to create and share sexualized images of women and children.
Ms Kendall claimed she created images of those using the tool being “bound and gagged, bruised, covered in blood and much more”, and Labor MP Jess Asato said MPs were digitally “dressed in bikinis” without their consent.
Ms Nichols, MP for Warrington North who quit X in 2024, told the Commons: “This is a government that is committed to practicing what we preach about online safety and violence against women and girls.”
“The public, like me, are stunned by the harsh words of a government that not only uses
Ms Kendall replied: “I completely agree with him that we need to make our views and our voices heard on many other platforms and I and many ministers raise this issue regularly and I think there is a lot more we can do.”
The minister added: “I actually think there is an argument about the director general of the BBC. [Tim Davie] It is a project designed to make the voice heard on a platform used by so many people.
“But I understand his concerns and we will keep this under review.”
Taking questions from the Commons Public Accounts Committee last week, Mr Davie said he faced “quite a lot of pressure to remove the BBC from X”, formerly known as Twitter.
He said the publisher “needs to deliver quality information on these social media platforms, draw people in, and that’s critical.”
Ms Asato, MP for Lowestoft, told the House of Commons: “We have all seen how AI is used to degrade and sexualise women, with bullet holes, blood, retching, bruising and even the horror of a Jewish woman being stripped of her clothes and placed in Auschwitz.
“Like many of my colleagues over the weekend, I had my own treatment at
“Will [Ms Kendall] “So look at how the government can work with industry to introduce AI watermarking, as well as allowing users to flag that their photos or videos should not be digitally altered without their consent.”
In her response, Ms. Kendall said she was happy to meet with Ms. Asato “to discuss all of these ideas further.”
Labor Party’s Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP Neil Coyle described the claims that the government wants to restrict freedom of expression as “false”.
Ms Kendall said: “This isn’t about restricting freedom of expression. It’s actually about making sure women can take part and that they aren’t bullied and intimidated to be able to take part.”
As pressure on X mounts, the prime minister issued a direct warning to Musk on Monday evening.
Speaking at a meeting of Parliamentary Labor backbenchers, Sir Keir said: “Grok and X’s actions are absolutely disgusting and disgraceful.
“Protecting abusive users instead of abused women and children shows a complete distortion of priorities.
“So let me be very clear, we will not oppose this, because no matter how unstable or complex the world is, this government will be guided by its values. We will side with the weak against the strong.”
“If X can’t control Grok, we will, and we will do it quickly, because if you profit from harm and exploitation, you lose the right to self-regulate.”
Developed by another company called xAI, founded by Mr. Musk, Grok launched a new advanced rendering feature in July last year.
However, its use to create nude deepfake images has become more common in the last few weeks.
Earlier, Ms Kendall said the government would this week introduce part of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, which would make it a “criminal offense to create or request the creation of non-consensual intimate images”.
She also said: “We have seen reports of photos being shared of women in bikinis, bound and gagged, with bruises, covered in blood and much more.
“Lives can be ruined and devastated by this content designed to harass, torment and violate people’s dignity. These are not harmless images. They are weapons of abuse that disproportionately target women and girls, and they are illegal.”
Conservative shadow tech secretary Julia Lopez welcomed Ofcom’s investigation and said her party backed the government on nudification tools.
But he warned that banning the platform would be “an extraordinarily serious act against a platform that could be used for good, to expose scandals, spark democratic revolution and allow for the daily exchange of ideas.”
