UK launches investigation into X over pornographic deepfakes generated by Grok

UK media regulator Ofcom has opened a formal investigation into social platform X over the distribution of pornographic deepfakes generated by the AI model Grok.

According to Reuters, the probe follows a request from the UK government. Regulators will assess whether users in the country may have been exposed to prohibited content, including sexualized images created without individuals’ consent, in some cases using AI.

Ofcom will also examine whether the platform took adequate and timely steps to prevent the spread of such content.

If violations are confirmed, X could face serious sanctions. UK companies may be prohibited from advertising on the platform, and the service itself could potentially be blocked in the UK.

The investigation stems from controversy surrounding Grok, which allowed users to generate explicit deepfake images directly within X. The chatbot was previously blocked in Malaysia and Indonesia over similar concerns. In response, X moved image editing via the @grok feature behind a paywall.

X could face a UK ban over Grok-generated explicit deepfakes

Explicit deepfake images generated by Grok have triggered a regulatory investigation in the UK.

Durov's CodeVlad Voitenko