X moves to curb Grok ‘nudification’ feature as Starmer warns platform must comply

UK and EU authorities face mounting pressure to act after Grok was used to generate non-consensual sexual images

The use of Grok — an AI tool embedded in the social media platform X — to create sexually explicit content, including child sexual abuse material, has prompted widespread concern.

Elon Musk’s X is now complying with British law over the much-criticised “nudification” feature in its AI tool Grok, British prime minister Keir Starmer has said.

“I have been informed this morning that X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law,” the British Labour leader told the House of Commons on Wednesday. “If so, that is welcome, but we’re not going to back down. They must act.”

His comments came after The Telegraph reported that Mr Musk’s platform had disabled Grok’s ability to undress women in photos, after previously limiting the feature to paid subscribers following a global uproar. The move is unlikely to halt regulatory scrutiny of X and Grok over the issue.

The use of Grok — an AI tool embedded in the social media platform X — to create sexually explicit content, including child sexual abuse material, has prompted widespread concern in Ireland and internationally, with different regulatory responses emerging across jurisdictions.

While the UK is set to make it illegal to generate sexual images without consent this week, the ban will not come into force until February.

The UK tech regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into X over “deeply concerning reports” about Grok, while Mr Starmer said: “If X cannot control Grok, we will.”

Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, said it is liaising with the European Commission on the matter, though the Commission has not confirmed whether it has opened its own investigation into X.

Under the EU’s Digital Services Act, the Commission can take interim measures to address urgent risks even without launching a full investigation.

“Where there is an urgency due to the risk of serious damage for users, the Commission can require immediate actions to address such harms,” it says on its website.

“Any measure taken should be proportionate and temporary to mitigate such a risk. Examples of interim measures can be changes to recommender systems, increased monitoring of specific keywords or hashtags, or orders to terminate or remedy alleged infringements.” 

The department of education said it is keeping all methods of communication “under ongoing review,” as individual ministers and organisations have said they will stop using X amid the Grok controversy.

The department, which regularly posts on the platform about announcements and policies — including posts featuring images of children — said it has conducted a data protection impact assessment on images and video footage used in its communications, including obtaining consent for all images published.

It said it posts to social media “the aim of making information and services available to the public in an effective and appropriate manner”.

“The ongoing situation with X will be considered in that context,” it added.

In the US, a coalition of women’s groups, tech watchdogs and activists has called on Google and Apple to remove X and Grok from their app stores.

In open letters published on Wednesday, the coalition accused the Elon Musk-owned apps of generating illegal content that violates both companies’ terms of service.

“They are enabling a system in which thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people, particularly women and children, are being sexually abused through the help of their own app stores,” feminist group UltraViolet campaign direcor Jenna Sherman said.

Google and Apple did not respond to requests for comment.