Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk has lashed out at UK ministers, claiming their threats to ban his platform X are merely a pretext for suppressing free speech. The row ignited after it was revealed that Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, was being used to create sexually explicit and abusive images of women and minors without their consent. Musk, seemingly unfazed by the regulatory threats, touted Grok’s success on the UK App Store and characterized the government’s stance as an attack on liberty rather than a protective measure against digital abuse.
The situation arose after investigations showed that Grok was being used to manipulate innocent photographs into extreme sexual content. Thousands of women have reportedly faced abuse, with the AI tool used to strip clothes from subjects digitally and depict them in degrading positions. Disturbingly, the technology was also used to alter images of children and teenagers, leading experts to classify some of the output as child sexual abuse material. The graphic nature of the content, which included depictions of violence and torture, has drawn widespread condemnation.
Facing intense pressure, the UK government has signaled it is ready to take drastic action. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall confirmed that barring access to X is a genuine possibility under the Online Safety Act. She urged the platform to “get a grip” and comply with the law, warning that regulators at Ofcom are preparing to announce swift enforcement actions. The government has made it clear that if X refuses to effectively police this illegal content, the state will use its full powers to protect citizens, potentially cutting off the site’s UK audience entirely.
The issue has sparked a global debate on AI ethics. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in, describing the technology’s misuse as “abhorrent” and a clear failure of corporate responsibility. Meanwhile, the political divide in the UK has widened, with right-wing figures like Liz Truss attacking the current government’s approach as heavy-handed. Despite the rhetoric, the safety risks remain the primary focus for legislators who argue that “global citizens deserve better” protections against non-consensual deepfake exploitation.
In a move to mitigate the damage, X has rolled back some of Grok’s public features, restricting image generation for non-paying users and blocking certain keywords. However, critics argue these measures are insufficient, as paid users retain access to powerful tools, and standalone “nudification” apps continue to proliferate. Labour MP Jess Asato has highlighted that advertisements for such tools have appeared on major platforms like YouTube, prompting calls for urgent legislative updates to ban the creation and promotion of synthetic sexual content altogether.