Elon Musk Claims UK Wants to Crush Free Speech as X Faces Ban for Grok’s “Abhorrent” AI Images

Elon Musk has accused UK ministers of harboring an anti-free speech agenda after they threatened to ban his social media platform, X. The threat arose following investigations that showed X’s Grok AI was being used to create deepfake pornography of women and children without their consent. Musk appeared to revel in the controversy, pointing out that Grok was the most downloaded app on the UK App Store shortly after the government demanded the removal of the abusive features. This defiant stance has complicated efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue and cooperation.
The misuse of Grok has been extensive and alarming. The AI was used to digitally remove clothing from images of women and teenagers, replacing it with swimwear or placing the subjects in violent, sexually explicit contexts. The generation of images showing women bound, gagged, and injured has drawn sharp condemnation. Furthermore, the alteration of photos of children has led experts to warn that the platform is hosting child sexual abuse material. The creation and distribution of such material is illegal and poses a severe threat to the safety and well-being of minors.
UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall issued a stark warning to X, stating that the government is “looking seriously” at the possibility of a ban. She reminded the platform that the Online Safety Act includes powers to block services that fail to comply with the law. Ofcom is currently investigating and is expected to take action within days. Kendall’s comments underscore the government’s determination to enforce online safety standards and to hold platforms accountable for the content they facilitate.
The incident has garnered international attention, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing the use of AI to exploit people as “abhorrent.” He criticized the platform for a lack of social responsibility. In the UK, the issue has sparked political debate, with former PM Liz Truss framing the threatened ban as an overreaction by the current government. However, the safety of women and children remains the primary concern for regulators, who argue that freedom of speech does not include the right to generate non-consensual sexual imagery.
X has responded by restricting image generation for free users and filtering out some explicit content. However, paid subscribers can still access the tool, and the broader issue of “nudification” apps remains unresolved. MPs are calling for urgent legislation to ban these technologies and have criticized tech giants like Google for allowing ads for such services to appear on their platforms. The call for a ban reflects a growing consensus that certain AI capabilities are too dangerous to be made publicly available without strict controls.