Donald Trump ally threatens to push sanctions on Britain if Keir Starmer takes tough action against X site over AI generating sexual images
An ally of Donald Trump has threatened to impose sanctions on the UK if Sir Keir Starmer takes action against social media site X over artificial intelligence-generated sexual images.
The Prime Minister has called for ‘all options to be on the table’ as regulator Ofcom investigates firm X and xAI, which created the Grok AI tool.
There was widespread backlash after it was revealed that Grok, available on X, was being used to produce nude images of people, including children.
The tool was also reportedly used to manipulate images of women to remove their clothing and put them in sexualized positions.
But Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives, warned Sir Keir against any efforts to ban X, formerly known as Twitter, in Britain.
He has promised to introduce legislation that would impose sanctions on both the Prime Minister and the UK if Sir Keir attempts to shut down Elon Musk’s social media site.
Ms Luna, who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, claimed critics of X were waging a “political war” against Mr Musk and “freedom of speech”.
Grok has now stopped creating images for most X users, as the AI tool limits image creation and editing features to only the site’s paying subscribers.
PM calls for ‘all options to be on the table’ as regulator Ofcom investigates firm X and xAI, which make Grok AI tool
Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives, has warned Sir Keir Starmer against any efforts to ban X, formerly known as Twitter, in the UK.
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The message Grok sent to users requesting image editing via X says: ‘Image creation and editing is currently limited to paying subscribers.
‘You can subscribe to unlock these features.’
On Thursday Sir Keir called on X to ‘get its act together’ over concerns about AI creating sexualized images of adults and children on the site.
‘This is a shame. Disgusting. “And this should not be tolerated,” the Prime Minister told Greatest Hits Radio.
‘X’ needs to grasp this. We have our full support for Ofcom to take action on this matter. This is wrong.
‘This is illegal. We will not tolerate this. I wanted all options to be on the table.
‘Disgusting. X needs to get his act together and download this material. ‘We will take action on this issue as this situation is unacceptable.’
Ms Luna later responded to suggestions that X could be banned in the UK under powers under the Online Safety Act.
He shared this about X: ‘If Starmer is successful in banning X in Britain, I will introduce legislation currently being drafted to sanction not just Starmer but Britain as a whole.
‘This would mirror actions previously taken by the United States in response to foreign governments restricting the platform, including a dispute with Brazil in 2024-2025 that resulted in tariffs, visa cancellations, and sanctions and consequences for Brazilian officials tied to free speech concerns over censorship and freedom of expression violations.
‘Starmer must reconsider this course of action or there will be consequences.
‘There are always technical errors in the early stages of new technology, especially artificial intelligence, and these problems are usually fixed quickly.
‘X takes these issues seriously and acts quickly. Let’s be clear: This is not about technical compatibility.
‘This is a political war against @elonmusk and freedom of speech; nothing else.’
