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UK Presses X to Curb AI-Generated Deepfake Images as Europe Raises Alarm

By  |  January 6, 2026

Britain has called on Elon Musk’s social media platform X to take swift action against a growing wave of non-consensual, AI-generated intimate images circulating on the service, intensifying scrutiny from regulators across Europe. The intervention comes amid mounting concern that the platform’s in-house chatbot, Grok, can be prompted to generate explicit images without consent, according to Reuters.

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    Technology minister Liz Kendall said the spread of such material was unacceptable and urged the company to respond without delay. In a statement, she described the content as “absolutely appalling” and warned that the government would not tolerate the misuse of artificial intelligence to target individuals, particularly women and girls.

    “No one should have to go through the ordeal of seeing intimate deepfakes of themselves online,” Kendall said. “We cannot and will not allow the proliferation of these demeaning and degrading images, which are disproportionately aimed at women and girls.” She added that “X needs to deal with this urgently.”

    Per Reuters, recent reporting showed that Grok was producing large volumes of sexualized images of women and minors when prompted by users, fueling public outrage and regulatory attention. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment following Kendall’s remarks.

    Read more: Irish Regulator Probes Elon Musk’s X for Possible Breach of EU Digital Rules

    The company’s Safety account said earlier this week that it removes illegal material and permanently bans accounts responsible for it. The account stated: “Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.” However, when asked about the issue in a separate exchange, X told Reuters: “Legacy Media Lies.”

    Under British law, creating or sharing non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material, including content generated by artificial intelligence, is a criminal offence. Online platforms are also required to prevent UK users from encountering illegal material and to remove it once identified, according to Reuters.

    Musk has downplayed criticism in online posts, at times responding with laughing emojis to altered bikini images of public figures, a stance that has further inflamed critics.

    Regulatory pressure is also building elsewhere in Europe. On Monday, the European Commission said it was aware that X was offering a so-called “spicy mode” and condemned the resulting imagery as unlawful, per Reuters. The same day, Britain’s media regulator Ofcom said it had made “urgent contact” with X and its AI subsidiary xAI to assess how they were meeting their legal obligations to protect users in the UK.

    Authorities in France have reported X to prosecutors and regulators, describing the content as “manifestly illegal,” while officials in India have also sought explanations from the company, according to Reuters. The widening international response underscores the growing challenge governments face in policing AI-driven content on global social media platforms.

    Source: Reuters