New Delhi, January 12, 2026, 08:53 p.m. IST
Ofcom has opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s platform X (formerly Twitter) over its AI chatbot Grok, accused of generating harmful deepfake images, including child sexual abuse material. The probe could lead to fines or even a UK ban.
The UK’s media regulator, Ofcom, has started a formal investigation into the social media platform X (previously known as Twitter), which is owned by Elon Musk. The main reason is serious worries about its AI chatbot, called Grok, being used to create harmful and illegal images.
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What is Grok and What Happened?
Grok is an AI tool made by Musk’s company xAI. It is built right into the X platform. Recently, people found that users could give Grok simple instructions (called prompts) to take normal photos of real people, including women and sometimes children, and turn them into sexually explicit or “undressed” versions. These are known as deepfakes or manipulated images created by AI.
This means someone could upload a picture of a clothed person and ask Grok to remove clothes, add sexual elements, or make it look inappropriate. Such images spread quickly on X, causing a lot of anger and concern. Many saw this as a form of digital abuse because the people in the photos did not agree to it.
Especially worrying were reports of sexualised images of children. If real enough or explicit, these could count as child sexual abuse material (CSAM), which is a serious crime in the UK and many other countries.
Why is the UK Taking Action?
The UK has a law called the Online Safety Act. It requires big online platforms like X to:
- Check for risks of harmful or illegal content.
- Protect users, especially children, from seeing bad material.
- Quickly remove illegal posts.
- Stop privacy violations and non-consensual intimate images.
Ofcom believes X may not have done enough to follow these rules. They say the reports are “deeply concerning.” The watchdog first contacted X and xAI urgently on January 5, 2026, asking for explanations by January 9. After getting a reply and reviewing evidence quickly, Ofcom decided to open a full official investigation on January 12, 2026.
UK leaders reacted strongly:
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the content “disgusting” and “unlawful.”
- Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the investigation must happen fast to help victims, and the content was “deeply disturbing.”
- Other politicians from different parties agreed it was horrible and pushed for strong action.
If Ofcom finds X broke the rules, the platform could face big punishments:
- Fines up to 10% of its global yearly revenue (or at least £18 million, whichever is bigger).
- In the worst case, a court order to block X in the UK so people there cannot access it.
Some ministers have said banning X is “on the table” if needed.
What Has X Done So Far?
X and xAI say they do not allow illegal content. They pointed to rules that say anyone prompting Grok to make bad images will face the same penalties as if they posted the images themselves (like account bans or reports to police).
To respond to the complaints, X made changes around January 9-10, 2026. They limited Grok’s image creation and editing features mostly to paying subscribers (people with premium accounts). Free users lost easy access through the main Grok chatbot on X, though some workarounds might still exist via the separate Grok app or website.
Elon Musk has defended his platform. He accused the UK government of looking for excuses to censor free speech. He questioned why other AI tools from different companies were not facing the same level of checks. Musk called some government moves “fascist” in posts.
Real fascism is arresting thousands of people for social media posts https://t.co/lfkQF8MHnk
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 12, 2026
Broader Impact
This is not just a UK issue. Countries like Malaysia and Indonesia recently restricted or blocked Grok because of similar misuse for creating obscene or non-consensual images.
The whole situation shows bigger problems with new AI tools that can generate images so easily. While AI like Grok brings fun and useful features, it can also be misused to hurt people, invade privacy, or create dangerous content, especially when safeguards are not strong enough from the start.
Ofcom has called this a “highest priority” matter, but has not said exactly how long the investigation will take. Everyone is watching to see what happens next, as it could set an example for how countries handle powerful AI on social media.
