Additional Coverage:
- U.K. investigation into X over allegedly illegal deepfakes risks igniting a free speech battle with the U.S. (fortune.com)
UK Takes Aim at X Over Deepfakes, Igniting Free Speech Debate
London, UK – A formal investigation launched by the UK’s online safety regulator, Ofcom, into Elon Musk’s X platform is setting the stage for a potential showdown between online regulation and free speech, with implications stretching across the Atlantic. The probe focuses on the proliferation of sexualized deepfakes, particularly those involving women and children, being created and shared on the platform.
Ofcom announced its investigation Monday, citing concerns that X may be failing to meet its legal obligations under the UK Online Safety Act, which became law last March. The regulator expressed deep alarm over reports that xAI’s Grok, an AI integrated with X, continues to generate thousands of these illicit images despite recent company-imposed restrictions.
“Reports of Grok being used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X have been deeply concerning,” Ofcom stated. The regulator emphasized that platforms must protect UK citizens from illegal content and vowed to investigate any suspected failures, especially concerning child safety.
Should X be found in violation, the platform could face substantial fines, potentially reaching £18 million or 10% of its global revenue, whichever is higher. In severe cases of non-compliance, British internet providers could even be ordered by courts to block access to X entirely.
However, the investigation, while centered on illegal content, particularly child sexual abuse material, risks being reframed as a geopolitical tussle over censorship and free speech. X has already faced temporary blocks in Malaysia and Indonesia over similar content. In response to the threat of a UK ban, Elon Musk has reportedly called the British government “fascist” and accused ministers of seeking “any excuse for censorship.”
Nick Anstead, an associate professor specializing in political communication at the London School of Economics, anticipates that if Ofcom decides to ban the platform, the action will likely be co-opted into a broader free speech debate, with the underlying reasons for the investigation potentially getting lost.
British politicians have indicated their support for Ofcom’s independence in this matter. Technology minister Liz Kendall affirmed that the Online Safety Act grants the power to block services that refuse to comply with UK law, and that such a decision by Ofcom would have the government’s full backing. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy also reported that US Vice President JD Vance agreed that sexualized AI deepfakes, especially of children, are “entirely unacceptable.”
Despite this, the UK’s Online Safety Act has been a point of contention with the US, with some American officials, including Vance, criticizing European online safety regulations as potentially suppressing political speech. The Trump administration has previously taken action against what it perceived as European censorship, and members of Congress have opposed foreign efforts to censor constitutionally protected speech by Americans.
Grok’s Continued Deepfake Output
Women have been disproportionately targeted by AI-manipulated images depicting them nude or in sexual scenarios without consent, with many victims reporting that X often ignored their complaints. Researchers highlight that Grok’s integration into X creates an unprecedented distribution system for such imagery. One analysis reportedly found Grok generating approximately 6,700 sexually explicit or “undressing” images per hour, with sexualized content comprising a significant portion of its total output.
Musk has countered these criticisms by arguing that other AI chatbots and digital tools can similarly edit images, accusing the UK of singling out his platform.
When questioned about whether the threats to block X constituted an attack on free speech, a spokesperson for the British prime minister reportedly stated, “I don’t accept that at all. Our position on free speech is clear. We’re fully committed to the right to free speech.”