By Burak Bir
LONDON (AA) – The UK is investigating US social media company X over the creation and sharing of sexualized images through its Grok AI chatbot – a probe that could, in theory, lead to the platform being blocked in Britain.
Experts say, however, that such a move would be legally complex, slow and unlikely in the near term, despite the existence of a so-called “nuclear option.”
The investigation was launched by the UK’s online safety regulator Ofcom on Jan. 12 under the Online Safety Act, following reports that Grok had been used to generate undressed images of individuals and sexualized imagery involving both adults and children. Under UK law, such content could amount to image-based sexual abuse or child sexual abuse material.
Public backlash intensified in late December, with criticism peaking in early January, prompting Ofcom to assess whether X has complied with its legal duty to protect UK users from illegal content hosted on its platform.
Although X later said it had introduced measures to prevent Grok from being used to create intimate images of individuals, Ofcom said on Jan. 15 that while the steps were “welcome,” the formal investigation remains ongoing.
- What the process could look like
Alexandros Antoniou, a senior lecturer in media law at the University of Essex, told Anadolu that sexualized AI-generated images of adults or children could constitute criminal offenses in the UK.
“They could be classed as digital crimes,” he said. “They don’t require a camera – just coding.”
Antoniou explained that Ofcom’s first task is to determine whether the allegations are substantiated and whether X has adequate systems in place to prevent and remove illegal material.
If the regulator identifies potential violations, it would then issue a formal provisional notice under the Online Safety Act.
“It would essentially be saying what’s gone wrong and give X, the company, a chance to respond,” Antoniou said.
The regulator would then assess X’s response. Depending on what the company says, Ofcom could then decide whether to close the investigation or escalate the matter by issuing a final notice of contravention.
No fixed timeline exists for the process, though Antoniou said the case is being treated as a priority.
“Ofcom doesn’t want to rush it,” he said. “They want to give the company a fair chance to respond.”
Asked whether the investigation could ultimately result in X being blocked in the UK, Antoniou stressed that such an outcome would only come at the very end of the enforcement spectrum.
“A platform ban is a last-resort measure,” he said, noting that it would require Ofcom to seek a court order for a so-called business disruption measure.
This measure could compel payment providers or advertisers to withdraw services from X or require internet service providers to block access to the platform within the UK.
- ‘Fast-track shutdown possible’
Antoniou also acknowledged that the Online Safety Act allows for an accelerated enforcement route – described as a “nuclear option” – but said it remains constrained.
Unlike the standard process, this route would bypass preliminary warning stages, but the evidentiary threshold would be significantly higher.
“It will have to convince the court that there’s been an ongoing and very serious breach that has been causing immediate harm to UK users,” Antoniou explained.
He stressed that the process is not straightforward.
“In theory, there is this power in place. There is the process of a fast-track shutdown,” he said. “But I don’t think that’s going to happen as the first option.”