By AFP
January 13, 2026
Musk has characterised criticism of X and Grok as an attack on free speech - Copyright AFP/File Lionel BONAVENTURE
Elon Musk’s company xAI has faced global backlash in recent days over sexualised “deepfake” images of women and children created by its Grok chatbot.
Here are the essential facts about the scandal, how governments have responded and the company’s attempts to cool the controversy.
– ‘Put her in a bikini’ –
Grok — Musk’s version of the chatbots also offered by OpenAI and other generative AI companies — has its own account on the X social network allowing users to interact with it.
Until last week, users could tag the bot in posts to request image generation and editing, receiving the image in a reply from Grok.
Many took advantage of the service by sending Grok photos of women or tagging the bot in replies to women’s photo posts.
They would ask it to “put her in a bikini” or “take her clothes off” — receiving photorealistic altered images in response.
Such AI-powered nonconsensual “nudifying” services had previously been available on niche websites, but Grok became the first to take it mainstream with social media integration and offer it for free.
Outrage grew as some users were discovered generating sexualised images of children and minors.
Still others used the tool to generate bikini images of women killed in the deadly New Year fire at Swiss ski resort Crans-Montana, as well as the woman shot and killed by an immigration officer in Minneapolis.
Last week, an analysis of more than 20,000 Grok-generated images by Paris non-profit AI Forensics found that more than half depicted “individuals in minimal attire” — most of them women, and two percent appearing to be under-18s.
– How have countries reacted?
Indonesia on Saturday became the first country to block access to Grok entirely, with neighbouring Malaysia following on Sunday.
India said Sunday that X had removed thousands of posts and hundreds of user accounts in response to its complaints.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a government source told AFP 3,500 posts and 600 accounts had been removed.
Britain’s Ofcom media regulator — which can fine companies up to 10 percent of global revenue — said Monday it was opening a probe into whether X failed to comply with UK law over the sexual images.
“If X cannot control Grok, we will — and we’ll do it fast,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told MPs from his Labour Party.
France’s commissioner for children Sarah El Hairy said Tuesday she had referred Grok’s generated images to French prosecutors, the Arcom media regulator and the European Union.
Digital affairs minister Anne Le Henanff had earlier called the restriction of image creation to paying users “insufficient and hypocritical”.
And the European Commission, which acts as the EU’s digital watchdog, has ordered X to retain all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026 in response to the uproar.
The bloc has already been investigating X over potential breaches of its digital content rules since 2023.
“We will not be outsourcing child protection and consent to Silicon Valley,” Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Monday.
“If they don’t act, we will.”
– How did the company respond?
“We take action against illegal content… including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement,” X’s safety team posted on January 4.
Musk himself said last week that anyone using Grok to “make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content”.
But he made light of the controversy in a separate post, adding laughing emojis as he reshared to his 232 million followers on X a post featuring a toaster wrapped in a bikini.
By January 9, Grok began responding to all requests for image generation or editing by saying the service was restricted to paying subscribers.
Musk has also fired back at politicians demanding action.
Critics of X and Grok “just want to suppress free speech” Musk posted on January 10.
Could Musk’s social media platform go X-tinct in Britain?
Whether social media has been a net positive or negative thing for our society will be an essay question I am sure academics across sociology and human history will end up divided on in the future.
We are coming to a point of finally recognising that there are serious issues on social media, as Ofcom step in to investigate Elon Musk’s X, over in-built AI generated non-consensual sexualised images of women, and in the most despicable, vile cases, children too, by Grok, the platform’s own AI tool. Should Ofcom conclude it is necessary, they have the powers to ban access to the platform in the UK.
In the few examples from other countries, I have heard the banning of social media platforms talked of in our media as a controlling measure from states to restrict its own people from being able to communicate with the world. While anti-censorship warriors, I suspect, may try to use this narrative towards Keir Starmer and the Labour government, this case of X is very different from comparisons to North Korea.
Ever since Musk took over the platform, X has become a place of huge controversy, and clashes with the UK government have not been uncommon since the election in July 2024. I am sure we all remember the action the government took over comments displayed on Musk’s platform, inciting violence following the awful Southport attack. We saw riots and division increased across society right from the start of Labour’s time in office, with Musk and his platform playing a direct role in encouraging this.
“It’s a cesspit” is one of the most common expressions I heard, having never really engaged with my X account until taking on my role for LabourList, as people tried to warn me before logging in as to what I was about to unleash on myself.
It is little wonder then that many Labour MPs have quit X in recent days, with Folkestone and Hythe MP Tony Vaughan among the latest to do so – citing the “toxic environment” and “horrendous content” the platform now hosts.
X has become known as the home of the far-right online, and it is no wonder why when their owner has been filmed throwing out certain salutes like he’s at a rally in 1940s Berlin, and attends, via a giant screen, a march to show his support for those in favour of a former EDL leader’s views on just how bad Britain is. Musk has personally set out to attack the Prime Minister and Labour on X, all while supporting far-right movements both in the UK and across Europe.
The more cynical approach may assume from this that I would be in favour of an X ban as if it was some method of shutting down the far-right voice online. As much as I think removing a platform so filled with hatred would have its perks, if there is one thing I would be confident of, those far-right voices would simply migrate (ironic) to another platform, where they would again find each other and remain within their echo-systems.
But this investigation is not looking into just how hate-filled and divisive X is, nor how impactful that hate and division is on society. It is also not being carried about by a Labour government that has had to deal with so many problems directly linked to the platform in question.
Ofcom are investigating a specific case of illegal content being created and distributed through Musk’s platform and the measures the social media company took to deal with this once they found out it was occurring. Musk’s public response to this, as you could guess, has been to complain about censorship in the UK. Many also understand that should you pay for Grok, it remains accessible for users.
Following a landmark Online Safety Act and a strategy to deal with violence against women and girls published by the government, should Ofcom conclude from their investigation that X is not a suitable platform in the UK, then the government should absolutely support this.
However, even if this does not happen, Starmer and his government must ensure they take this moment to discuss our relationship with social media as a whole, with the nation.
Moments like this prompt an opportunity to engage. The government needs to take it, and be clear in its messaging. Do not let those with an anti-Starmer agenda lead the narrative on this, pretending it is some kind of state intervention by a communist power to restrict your freedoms.
The government must stay strong, keep all its options on the table and ensure that it explains the rationale behind any decision it has to take following Ofcom’s investigation with complete clarity, a consistent narrative and a confident approach.
Issued on: 11/01/2026
06:14 min
After Malaysia and Indonesia suspended access to Grok this weekend, French foreign ministry official Chappaz declined to say whether France would follow suit, but indicated that it was working on an international response, and said she hoped the courts would mete out swift justice for what she called a "totally illegal" use of AI.
"Everyone in France who's been a victim of this should definitely take it to the courts," Chappaz said, underlining that in France, generating non-consensual sexual deepfakes is punishable by up to three years' prison and €75,000 in fines.
WATCH MOREGlobal anger over Grok undressing women online
The Telegraph, a British newspaper, reported this weekend that Australia, the UK and Canada are considering joint action – though Canada’s AI Minister Evan Solomon has since said in a post on X that the country won’t be banning the platform.
Since the start of the year, X users have flooded the platform with sexually abusive, violent and extremist content generated by the artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, with users notably asking it to alter pictures of women in order to strip them of their clothes.
After widespread criticism from governments and civil society, X put the image generation function behind a paywall for those using it within public-facing replies and posts on X. But the tool remains available for free in a private Grok area of the website.
Since this change, researchers have indicated that the number of illicit posts has declined from its peak of tens of thousands a day in the first week of January.
Chappaz called the tweak "completely hypocritical".
"I see it as a scam because what it means is people pay to get access to the functionality, and guess who benefits from it? X, who's getting more income as a result," she said.
Copyright Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP, File
By Anna Desmarais with AP
Published on 13/01/2026 - EURONEWS
Governments worldwide are moving swiftly to rein in Grok, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, amid growing concerns it generates fake, sexually explicit images.
Last summer, xAI, Grok’s operating company, added an image-generator feature that included a “spicy mode” that could generate adult content.
In recent weeks, Grok has responded to user prompts to “undress” images of women and dress them in bikinis, creating AI-generated deepfakes with no safeguards.
From outright blocks in Southeast Asia to criminal probes and regulatory warnings in Europe and Australia, authorities say existing safeguards are failing.
These are the countries that have banned or heeded warnings about Grok.
Which countries have banned Grok?
Indonesia
Indonesia was the first country to temporarily block Grok to protect women, children, and the broader community from fake pornographic content generated using AI.
"The government sees non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity and the safety of citizens in the digital space,” Indonesia’s communication and digital affairs minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement on Saturday.
Restrictions on Grok are a “preventative” measure while the authorities assess whether the platform is safe, Indonesia’s National Police said.
Initial findings showed that Grok does not have efficient safeguards to stop the creation and distribution of pornographic content based on real photos of Indonesian residents, according to a statement from Alexander Sabar, Indonesia’s director general of digital space supervision.
Sabar said such practices risk violating privacy and image rights when photos are manipulated or shared without consent, causing psychological, social, and reputational harm.
Malaysia
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) ordered a temporary ban on Grok on Sunday after what it said was “repeated misuse” of the tool to generate obscene, sexually explicit, and non-consensual manipulated images.
The regulator said it sent two notices this month to X and xAI demanding stronger safeguards. In its replies, X said that Grok relies mostly on users to submit complaints about abusive content.
The MCMC concluded that X “failed to address the inherent risks” in the design and operation of its AI platform, which it said is insufficient under Malay law.
“The restriction is imposed as a preventive and proportionate measure while legal and regulatory processes are ongoing,” it said, adding that access will remain blocked until effective safeguards are put in place.
How have other countries responded?
European Union
The European Commission announced it is looking into cases of sexually suggestive and explicit images of young girls generated by Grok.
“I can confirm from this podium that the Commission is also very seriously looking into this matter,” a Commission spokesperson told journalists in Brussels last week.
Reuters reported that the Commission ordered X to retain all documents relating to Grok until the end of the year so the bloc can evaluate whether it complies with EU rules.
A Commission spokesperson told Reuters that it doesn't mean that a formal investigation has been launched.
Ursula Von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that she was "outraged that a technology platform allows users to digitally strip women and children online".
Without directly naming X or Grok, von der Leyen said the Commission "will not outsource child protection and consent to Silicon Valley. If they don't act, we will," she said.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom’s media watchdog launched an investigation into X, xAI’s parent company, and Musk’s social media platform, over the use of Grok to generate sexually explicit and non-consensual images.
Ofcom said in a statement that there had been "deeply concerning reports" of the chatbot being used to create and share undressed images of people, as well as "sexualised images of children".
The media watchdog could also seek a court order to force internet service providers to block access to Grok if X doesn’t comply with Ofcom’s requirements.
X could face a fine of up to 10 percent of its worldwide revenue or £18 million (€20 million).
_“_The content which has circulated on X is vile. It’s not just an affront to decent society, it is illegal,” Liz Kendall, the technology secretary, told parliament.
France
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office expanded an investigation into X in early January to include Grok, local media reported.
The initial probe, ongoing since last July, focused on suspected organised interference with X’s computer systems and the illegal extraction of data.
The decision to widen the investigation was made this week after five politicians accused the platform of generating and disseminating fake sexually explicit videos featuring minors, according to French newspaper Le Parisien.
It reported that France’s Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom) is investigating X’s potential breaches of the Digital Services Act, the European regulation rules for digital services.
Italy
On January 8, Italy’s Data Protection Authority (Garante) warned that anyone using Grok or other AI platforms to remove people’s clothing and those distributing these images risk criminal charges.
Using the tools without the permission of the person in the photo could be considered “[a] serious violation of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individuals involved,” the body said.
The authority also reminded Grok and other AI providers that they must design, develop, and make products available that comply with privacy regulations.
The Italian regulator said it is working with Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, the lead privacy authority for X, because the company’s headquarters are based in Ireland.
In October, Italy’s authority blocked ClothOff, another AI-generated platform that removes clothing. The platform lets anyone, including minors, create photos and videos that portray real people in the nude or in sexual positions.
In September, Italy added a new articleunder its criminal code to punish those disseminating AI deepfakes with up to five years in prison.
Germany
Germany said that it will soon present a “concrete proposal” for a new law against digital violence.
Anna-Lena Beckfeld, a spokesperson for Germany’s justice ministry, said in a press conference in January that the eventual digital violence law will be a way to support victims of this “type of digital violence,” by making it “easier for them to take direct action against violations of their rights online”.
When asked specifically about Grok, Beckfeld said it is “unacceptable that manipulation is being used on a large scale for systemic violations of personal rights”.
"We, therefore, want to see stronger measures taken against this through criminal law,” she added.
In 2025, Germany’s three main parties agreed to reform cybercrime law and close “loopholes” in the criminal code for AI-related crimes, such as AI-generated sexual images, according to a coalition agreement.
Australia
In January, the office of Australia’s eSafety Commissioner said it had received a small but increasing number of reports in the past couple of weeks about Grok’s sexual AI content.
The commissioner’s office said it will use its powers, such as a removal notice, which could order a social media site to take down problematic content, if any of the content violates the country’s Online Safety Act.
The office has already requested more information from X about the misuse of Grok’s sexual service and to evaluate whether it is complying with Australia's new social media law.
It also reminded Grok that, as of March 9, online services, including AI companies, will have to block children’s access to sexual, violent or harmful content.
By AFP
January 13, 2026
France is consider banning social media for under 15s
Rébecca FRASQUET
Social media harms the mental health of adolescents, particularly girls, France’s health watchdog said Tuesday as the country debates banning children under 15 from accessing the immensely popular platforms.
The results of an expert scientific review on the subject were announced after Australia became the first country to prohibit big platforms including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for under 16s last month, while other nations consider following its lead.
Using social media is not the sole cause of the declining mental health of teenagers, but its negative effects are “numerous” and well documented, the French public health watchdog ANSES wrote in its opinion, the result of five years of work by a committee of experts.
France is currently debating two bills, one backed by President Emmanuel Macron, that would ban social media for under 15s.
The ANSES opinion recommended “acting at the source” to ensure that children can only access social networks “designed and configured to protect their health”.
This means that the platforms would have to change their personalised algorithms, persuasive techniques and default settings, according to the agency.
“This study provides scientific arguments for the debate about social networks in recent years: it is based on 1,000 studies,” the expert panel’s head Olivia Roth-Delgado told a press conference.
Social media can create an “unprecedented echo chamber” that reinforces stereotypes, promotes risky behaviour and promotes cyberbullying, the ANSES opinion said.
The content also portrays an unrealistic idea of beauty via digitally altered images that can lead to low self-esteem in girls, which creates fertile ground for depression or eating disorders, it added.
Girls — who use social media more than boys — are subjected to more of the “social pressure linked to gender stereotypes,” the opinion said.
This means girls are more affected by the dangers of social media — as are LGBT people and those with pre-existing mental health conditions, it added.
On Monday, tech giant Meta urged Australia to rethink its teen social media ban, while reporting that it has blocked more than 544,000 Instagram, Facebook and Threads accounts under the new law.
Meta said parents and experts were worried about the ban isolating young people from online communities, and driving some to less regulated apps and darker corners of the internet.
Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, is meanwhile facing a global backlash for allowing users to use its AI chatbot Grok to create sexualised pictures of women and children using simple prompts such as “put her in a bikini”.
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