UK regulator opens probe into X over sexualised AI imagery


By AFP
January 12, 2026


Grok is facing growing international backlash for allowing users to create and share sexualised pictures of women and children using simple text prompts.

 - Copyright AFP Shammi MEHRA

Alexandra BACON

UK media regulator Ofcom on Monday launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s X over its AI chatbot Grok’s image creation feature that has been used to produce sexualised deepfakes.

Grok is facing growing international backlash for allowing users to create and share sexualised pictures of women and children using simple text prompts.

Ofcom described the reports as “deeply concerning”.

It said in a statement that the undressed images of people “may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography — and sexualised images of children… may amount to child sexual abuse material”.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office welcomed the investigation, saying that Ofcom “has our full support to take any action it sees fit”.

A Downing Street spokesperson added: “We won’t hesitate to go further to protect children online and strengthen the law as needed.”

Ofcom said it had contacted X on January 5 asking it to explain the steps it has taken to protect UK users.

Without sharing details of the exchange, the regulator said that X responded within the given timeframe.

The formal investigation will determine whether X “failed to comply with its legal obligations”.

Contacted by AFP, X referred to a previous statement, which said: “We take action against illegal content on X… by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary.”

– Global backlash –

Under Britain’s Online Safety Act, which entered force in July, websites, social media and video-sharing platforms hosting potentially harmful content are required to implement strict age verification through tools such as facial imagery or credit card checks.

It is meanwhile illegal for media sites to create or share non-consensual intimate images, or child sexual abuse material, including sexual deepfakes created with AI.

Ofcom has the power to impose fines of 10 percent of worldwide revenue for breaches of these rules.

Grok appeared to deflect the international criticism with a new monetisation policy at the end of last week, posting on X that the tool was now “limited to paying subscribers”, alongside a link to a premium subscription.

Starmer condemned the move as an affront to victims and “not a solution”.

Musk brushed off the UK’s criticism this weekend, posting on X that “they just want to suppress free speech”.

On Saturday, Indonesia became the first country to deny all access to the tool, with Malaysia following suit Sunday.

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.

“We will not be outsourcing child protection and consent to Silicon Valley,” European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday.

“If they don’t act, we will,” she added.

Malaysia, Indonesia become first to block Musk’s Grok over AI deepfakes

AP
January 12, 2026

Authorities in both countries acted over the weekend, citing concerns about non-consensual and sexual deepfakes

Regulators say existing controls cannot prevent fake pornographic content, especially involving women and minors

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Indonesia have become the first countries to block Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI, after authorities said it was being misused to generate sexually explicit and non-consensual images.

The moves reflect growing global concern over generative AI tools that can produce realistic images, sound and text, while existing safeguards fail to prevent their abuse. The Grok chatbot, which is accessed through Musk’s social media platform X, has been criticized for generating manipulated images, including depictions of women in bikinis or sexually explicit poses, as well as images involving children.

Regulators in the two Southeast Asian nations said existing controls were not preventing the creation and spread of fake pornographic content, particularly involving women and minors. Indonesia’s government temporarily blocked access to Grok on Saturday, followed by Malaysia on Sunday.

“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 Saturday.

The ministry said the measure was intended to protect women, children and the broader community from fake pornographic content generated using AI.

Initial findings showed that Grok lacks effective safeguards to stop users from creating and distributing pornographic content based on real photos of Indonesian residents, Alexander Sabar, director general of digital space supervision, said in a separate statement. He said such practices risk violating privacy and image rights when photos are manipulated or shared without consent, causing psychological, social and reputational harm.

In Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission ordered a temporary restriction on Grok on Sunday after what it said was “repeated misuse” of the tool to generate obscene, sexually explicit and non-consensual manipulated images, including content involving women and minors.

The regulator said notices issued this month to X Corp. and xAI demanding stronger safeguards drew responses that relied mainly on user reporting mechanisms.

“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.

Launched in 2023, Grok is free to use on X. Users can ask it questions on the social media platform and tag posts they’ve directly created or replies to posts from other users. Last summer the company added an image generator feature, Grok Imagine, that included a so-called “spicy mode” that can generate adult content.

The Southeast Asian restrictions come amid mounting scrutiny of Grok elsewhere, including in the European Union, Britain, India and France. Grok last week limited image generation and editing to paying users following a global backlash over sexualized deepfakes of people, but critics say it did not fully address the problem.