UK Regulator Opens Probe into Elon Musk's X Over Alleged Illegal Content from Grok AI Chatbot as Malaysia and Indonesia Block Chatbot
A formal investigation by Britain's media regulator Ofcom is underway into Elon Musk's social media platform X over concerns that its Grok AI chatbot has been used to create and share non-consensual intimate images, including those depicting children that may constitute child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The probe follows widespread condemnation of the platform's use in creating such explicit imagery. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently described the practice as "disgraceful" and "disgusting," calling for all options to be on the table to address the issue. X has since moved Grok's image editing features behind a paywall, limiting functionality to paid subscribers.
Ofcom has set a deadline for X to explain its compliance measures under the UK's Online Safety Act, but after receiving X's response, the regulator determined that a formal investigation was warranted. The investigation will examine whether X failed to meet several legal obligations, including assessing risks of illegal content exposure, implementing measures to prevent users from encountering non-consensual intimate images and CSAM, and swiftly removing illegal content upon discovery.
The probe also focuses on X's assessment of risks to children and its use of "highly effective age assurance" to prevent minors from accessing pornographic material. If the investigation finds X violated the law, Ofcom can impose fines up to £18 million ($24.2 million) or 10% of the company's qualifying worldwide revenue.
XAI, the company behind Grok, has also received a response from Ofcom and is being assessed for potential separate compliance issues.
The Online Safety Act, which took effect less than a year ago, has drawn attention from the Trump administration over its potential impact on American technology companies. Ofcom is currently recruiting a new chair who will be tasked with adopting more forceful oversight strategies as concerns mount over emerging technologies and platform ownership structures.
A spokesperson for Ofcom emphasized that platforms must protect people in the UK from content that's illegal in the UK, adding that the regulator will progress the investigation "as a matter of the highest priority" while following due process to ensure the probe is "legally robust and fairly decided."
A formal investigation by Britain's media regulator Ofcom is underway into Elon Musk's social media platform X over concerns that its Grok AI chatbot has been used to create and share non-consensual intimate images, including those depicting children that may constitute child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The probe follows widespread condemnation of the platform's use in creating such explicit imagery. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently described the practice as "disgraceful" and "disgusting," calling for all options to be on the table to address the issue. X has since moved Grok's image editing features behind a paywall, limiting functionality to paid subscribers.
Ofcom has set a deadline for X to explain its compliance measures under the UK's Online Safety Act, but after receiving X's response, the regulator determined that a formal investigation was warranted. The investigation will examine whether X failed to meet several legal obligations, including assessing risks of illegal content exposure, implementing measures to prevent users from encountering non-consensual intimate images and CSAM, and swiftly removing illegal content upon discovery.
The probe also focuses on X's assessment of risks to children and its use of "highly effective age assurance" to prevent minors from accessing pornographic material. If the investigation finds X violated the law, Ofcom can impose fines up to £18 million ($24.2 million) or 10% of the company's qualifying worldwide revenue.
XAI, the company behind Grok, has also received a response from Ofcom and is being assessed for potential separate compliance issues.
The Online Safety Act, which took effect less than a year ago, has drawn attention from the Trump administration over its potential impact on American technology companies. Ofcom is currently recruiting a new chair who will be tasked with adopting more forceful oversight strategies as concerns mount over emerging technologies and platform ownership structures.
A spokesperson for Ofcom emphasized that platforms must protect people in the UK from content that's illegal in the UK, adding that the regulator will progress the investigation "as a matter of the highest priority" while following due process to ensure the probe is "legally robust and fairly decided."
this is like, what's next? They're going to start regulating every thought on X too 
. I mean, come on, Elon's already got enough on his plate with SpaceX and Neuralink. Can't a guy just create a platform without being policed by the UK government? 
And now they're looking at AI chatbots like Grok like it's some kind of digital crime scene? 
Newsflash: if someone wants to make CSAM, they can do that on their own without needing an entire platform 
. Ofcom needs to get its priorities straight – all this fuss over a few bad apples doesn't justify hamstringing innovation 
OMG, this is soooo concerning! X needs to step up its game ASAP 
I mean, who thought it was okay to create an AI chatbot that can produce CSAM? 
And now Ofcom is on the case, and I'm rooting for them 100% 
. This is a huge step forward in holding platforms accountable for their actions. Fingers crossed they get to the bottom of this and make some serious changes 
I'm both shocked and kinda relieved at the same time. Like, how could someone create an AI chatbot that can make non-consensual intimate images? It's like, who even needs that kind of tech?! 
It means they'll have to go back and fix their stuff, which will help prevent this kind of thing from happening again.
The fact that the Online Safety Act is getting more attention is like, a good thing too! It means we'll have more regulations in place to protect people from this kind of stuff.
. i mean, i know we need to be aware of our online presence and what we're sharing, but this is just on a whole other level 
. elon musk needs to do more than just put a paywall on it, he needs to actually fix the problem 
This is so messed up! I mean, who creates non-consensual intimate images of kids?! 
. But what about the rest of us who don't pay for X?! Shouldn't we be protected too from all this gross content?! 
. And Elon Musk is all "oh no, not my fault" 
. Meanwhile, Ofcom is looking into this and I'm hoping they take action 
. The Online Safety Act was passed under 1 year ago and it's already causing problems 
This needs to be addressed ASAP 
. Fingers crossed! 
. Like, just because some people got upset about some AI chatbot stuff doesn't mean we gotta go full on Ofcom mode 
. X moved the image editing features behind a paywall, so that's like, a start, right? 
. But at the same time... if Ofcom does find out that X was, like, completely irresponsible or something, then yeah, let them have it 
i mean elon musk can be a genius and all but this is straight-up problematic 
. i'm also thinking about the implications for online safety in general - it's like, we're finally having this conversation but now we need to make sure we're taking action 
This is seriously disturbing and needs to be addressed ASAP. I mean, what even is the deal with these platforms and their 'features'? It's like they think we're all just gonna be fine with a little bit of explicit content thrown around... NOT GONNA HAPPEN 
.
Can't believe X got caught with its pants down like this 
. I mean, come on Elon, how hard is it to keep your AI chatbot from creating CSAM? 
. You're a billionaire with a platform that affects millions of people worldwide 
. Get it together, man! 
.
: "We're watching you, and we won't hesitate to take action 
."
. Anything less is just unacceptable 
. Ofcom is right to probe the platform, and I'm glad they're taking this seriously.
. I think the UK regulator should be more forceful in its oversight 
. As a user of X, it gives me peace of mind to know that there are people looking out for us 
And now Ofcom is investigating because they found out that X didn't do enough to stop it from happening. 
And Ofcom is being super serious about it too - they're looking at whether X met all the legal requirements to stop this from happening.
.
i don't think anyone should be getting away with that kinda stuff. 
. And now Ofcom is gonna fine Elon Musk a bunch for being cautious and putting paywalls in place? Come on, that's just good business sense