Name: Elon Musk's X investigated by Ofcom over Grok AI sexual deepfakes | BBC News
Uploaded: 2026-01-12T16:51:32.000Z
Duration: 3 min 9 s
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In the last hour or so, the UK media regulator Ofcom has launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X over concerns about its AI tool Grok, and

how it's being used to create sexualized images of women and children.

Adverbs of degree

The watchdog says there have been what it calls deeply concerning reports about the chatbot being used to create and share undressed images of people.

Let's get more on this now with Chris Valance, who can explain more.

Well, it's a week since Ofcom announced it was going to ask be in urgent contact with X over this issue of Grok.

An update to Grok, which enabled it to essentially be asked by X users could ask it to change photos that people had uploaded to the social media platform and some misused that to, as you said, digitally undress pictures posted by women and girls.

Now, Ofcom has announced that it will launch a formal investigation.

Having asked those questions earlier, it's now launching a formal investigation.

And this is, if you like, a step towards potentially taking enforcement action, big fines or maybe disrupting X in the uk, maybe even a ban.

And that is certainly an option on the table.

We had last week senior politicians, including the Prime Minister, saying something had to be done and all options were on the table.

And just explain, what exactly is the complaint against Grok?

Well, the Online Safety act, which Ofcom is the enforcer, governs the actions of platforms, so it's not accused, if you like, of it's not responsible for the actions of its users.

But here Ofcom is saying, look, did you do enough to stop the sharing of potentially illegal content?

Did you do enough to, to take it down quickly when it was found on your platform?

So it's really about the mechanisms, if you like, that X has and the tools on the site and how it's sort of governance of those, if you like, comply with the Online Safety act, rather than necessarily action here targeting particular users who had created particular images.

And what can Ofcom actually do in terms of punishing X?

Well, there are ultimately, if the case is proven, big fines.

So that could be up to 18 million pounds or 10% of turnover, whichever is the greater.

There's also the possibility of disrupting its business, so perhaps blocking the site or perhaps getting a court order to stop credit card payments.

All those sorts of things are available to it.

And certainly, you know, other countries, I think we've seen Malaysia and Indonesia block the platform in the last few days.

So, you know, there are a range of measures that it can take.

Of course, you know, those, those have to be, it has to sort of prove its case, if you like, and

it has to go to a court to get those, those measures taken.