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By Marni Rose McFall
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X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, has been hit with an investigation following the widespread use of its AI tool Grok to create sexualized deepfake imagery of women and girls.
The Office of Communications (Ofcom), the U.K.’s independent safety watchdog, confirmed today that it had opened a formal investigation. An Ofcom spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Newsweek that there had been "deeply concerning reports" of the chatbot being used to create images of people without their consent in addition to "sexualized images of children."
It described the investigation as a "matter of the highest priority."
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Newsweek has contacted X for comment over email.
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Why It Matters
Sexual deepfakes created by Grok AI have sparked a global conversation. Multiple women have spoken out about the toll the creation of such content has taken on them, and multiple high-profile women, including Princess Kate and conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair, have been targeted. St. Clair, the mother of one of Musk's children, told the BBC that Grok had generated sexualized photos of her as a child.
According to a review from the content analysis firm Copyleaks, Grok is generating "roughly one nonconsensual sexualized image per minute."
The situation is fast developing, with Ofcom confirming the investigation less than a week after announcing they were looking into X.
As of reporting on Monday morning, Malaysia has become the second country after Indonesia to block Grok entirely in response to the tool’s creation of deepfake sexualized imagery.
Such images have sparked worldwide concern and come amid concerns about AI technologies and the impact they are having on women and girls. SWGfL, a charity dedicated to creating safe and secure use of technology, estimated in a March study that more than 40 million women globally are victims of Non-Consensual Intimate Image (NCII) abuse.
What To Know
The press release shared with Newsweek states the investigation will examine "whether X has failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act."
That compliance includes assessing the risk of people seeing illegal content in the U.K.—including "non-consensual intimate images" and child sexual imagery—and taking appropriate steps such as taking down such content and preventing children in the U.K. from seeing pornography.
If it is found to have broken the law, Ofcom may be able to fine X up to 10 percent of its worldwide revenue, or $24 million, whichever is greater.
X had already responded to the fallout and said they are taking action. In response to a request for comment from Newsweek on a previous story, an X spokesperson shared a statement, originally posted on the platform on January 4.
It reads: "We take action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary. Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content."
X also restricted Grok’s image-editing function to only be for paid users. However, some have criticized this move as not going far enough.
Musk accused the U.K. government of wanting to "suppress free speech" in response to the investigation. He has also appeared to defend Grok amid the fallout. In a recent post on X, Musk wrote: "Compared to other AIs, Grok is solid as a rock. And it will get much better. Eternally curious to know the deeper truth and appreciation of beauty are its goals."
At the same time, Musk and MAGA conservatives have criticized the U.K. for the number of arrests made in relation to social media posts online, and likened this to "fascism" in multiple posts.
They cite custody data, originally obtained by The Times, which shows that law enforcement officers in Britain are making around 12,000 such arrests per year.
What People Are Saying
An Ofcom spokesperson, in a press release shared to Newsweek by email: "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. Platforms must protect people in the UK from content that’s illegal in the UK, and we won’t hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there’s a risk of harm to children."
Elon Musk, in a post on X: "They just want to suppress free speech."
Gus Tomlinson, Chief Product and Technology Officer at global identity technology business GBG, told Newsweek by email: "Reports show Grok isn’t just failing to moderate harmful content, it’s actively generating it. This is the clearest example yet of how generative AI is testing the Online Safety Act, and it demonstrates why regulators must hold platforms and AI developers to the highest standards of algorithmic accountability. As a community, we have a responsibility to anticipate the risks created by new technologies, rather than responding only once harm has already occurred. When one of the world’s largest social platforms is enabling the creation of explicit images of women and minors, accountability must follow. AI safeguards cannot be an afterthought. Safety must be baked in from day one—designed, tested, and enforced before any AI reaches users."
What Happens Next?
Updates in Ofcom’s investigation are pending.
Meanwhile, Tomlinson told Newsweek "Regulators around the world are watching closely. The message must be clear: platforms and AI developers either work to prevent harm by design, or they will face real, enforceable consequences."
Update 01/13/26 04:10 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comment from Gus Tomlinson.
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