X App Could Be Banned In Britain Over AI Chatbot Row: Report

London: Elon Musk’s X app could be banned in the UK amid controversy over AI ‘Grok’ undressing women and children in photos, the Telegraph reported on Thursday.

According to the Telegraph, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer asked the media regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), to “keep all options on the table” after it was determined that images of child sexual abuse were created using X’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok.

The Telegraph, citing sources from 10 Downing Street, highlighted the full powers of the Online Safety Act, which include fines worth billions of pounds and even blocking access to X in the UK.

It was stated that X has approximately 650 million users worldwide, 20 million of which are in the UK. The Telegraph reported, citing the UK Prime Minister, that he had called on

The UK Prime Minister’s warning comes as thousands of naked photos of women and children in sexualised poses and bikinis were taken using X’s AI Grok.

A UK internet watchdog warned on Wednesday that images created with Grok and shared on a dark web forum that could constitute illegal child sexual abuse material had been discovered, The Telegraph reported. It was stated that it was understood that the British Prime Ministry conveyed the issue of the images directly to X.

Keir Starmer told Greatest Hits Radio: “X needs to address this issue and we have the full support of Ofcom to take action on this matter. It’s wrong. It’s illegal. We won’t tolerate it. I wanted all options on the table,” the Telegraph added. It was also stated that Musk criticized Britain’s Online Safety Act, claiming that the aim of the law was to “oppress people”.

According to the Telegraph, under the Act British authorities have the power to block access to social media sites that have repeatedly failed to remove illegal images such as child abuse material or revenge porn. It has been stated that the UK’s technology watchdog Ofcom may apply for a court order requiring internet companies such as BT or smartphone app stores to block offensive sites and applications in the UK. He has never used his power until now.

According to the Telegraph, the regulator will need to follow a legal process involving an investigation and interim decision before applying for a ban. It has been stated that if a company refuses to address Ofcom’s concerns, it may seek to block the company’s website in the UK. He added that Ofcom had warned this week that an investigation could be launched into the footage and said it had made “urgent contact” with X.