Creating or requesting explicit deepfake images without consent will become a criminal offence this week.
Ofcom has launched an investigation into X over the spread of Grok-generated deepfake content.
Platforms could face fines of up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue for breaching the Online Safety Act.
The UK government is stepping up efforts to combat the creation of non-consensual intimate deepfake images, announcing that a new criminal offence will be implemented this week in response to growing criticism of AI-generated content circulating online.
SurveyThat follows the controversy surrounding Elon Musk’s Grok AI, which creates explicit images without permission. People all over the internet have flagged their concerns about safety and privacy. For those who are unaware, Indonesia and Malaysia have already banned Grok AI, and other countries, including the United Kingdom, are reportedly planning to do the same.
Coming back, under the UK’s new law, it will now be illegal in the region to create or even request the creation of intimate images without a person’s consent. Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told Parliament that the offence will also be designated as a priority under the Online Safety Act, a move that places stricter obligations on digital platforms to prevent such content from appearing in the first place.
The announcement comes as UK communications regulator Ofcom confirmed that it has opened a formal investigation into X over the spread of deepfake images linked to Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI. If Ofcom concludes that the platform has breached the Online Safety Act, it could force X to take corrective measures and levy penalties of up to £18 million or 10 percent of its global qualifying revenue.
Kendall has stated that the government expects Ofcom to move quickly, stressing that victims of AI-generated abuse are demanding urgent actions rather than lengthy regulatory processes. It must be noted that, in a statement earlier this year, X said it has removed illegal material from the platform, suspended offending accounts, and cooperates with law enforcement when required. The company added that users who prompt Grok to generate unlawful content face the same consequences as those who upload such material directly.
X has recently restricted some public image-generation features of Grok to paying subscribers, but reports suggest that free users can still find ways to create or modify images, including sexually explicit content. The Ofcom probe is expected to examine whether those safeguards meet the UK’s new legal standards.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
