Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Ofcom Opens Investigation Into X’s Grok Over Sexual Deepfakes Involving Women and Minors

The UK watchdog will assess possible Online Safety Act violations that could bring mandatory fixes or fines as high as £18 million or 10% of global turnover.

Overview

  • The regulator said it acted after very concerning reports of Grok being used to create and share nude and explicit images of women and minors that may breach UK rules on online abuse and child sexual exploitation.
  • The inquiry will determine whether X failed duties under the Online Safety Act, with potential outcomes including ordered remedial measures and significant financial penalties.
  • UK ministers condemned the creation of what they called repugnant deepfake images and urged Elon Musk and X’s leadership to take urgent action.
  • European Commission officials rejected X’s move to limit image editing to paying subscribers as insufficient and warned they would intervene if protections for minors and consent are not ensured.
  • International pressure has grown, with Malaysia and Indonesia blocking the platform, the Paris prosecutor opening an investigation, India issuing a formal letter of complaint, Italy’s privacy regulator issuing a warning, and reporting that thousands of sexual images were generated within days.