UK presses X to handle intimate deepfake photos | Social Media News | USAEMALL.com

Technology minister Liz Kendall called the nonconsensual images of women and minors ‘absolutely appalling’.

The United Kingdom has urged Elon Musk’s X to urgently address a proliferation of intimate “deepfake” images created on demand via its built-in AI chatbot Grok, joining a European outcry over a surge in nonconsensual imagery on the platform.

The comments, made on Tuesday, follow reporting that Grok, prompted by users, was creating a flood of nonconsensual images of women and minors in skimpy clothing.

Technology minister Liz Kendall said in a statement that the content was “absolutely appalling” and urged the social media platform to act swiftly.

“No one should have to go through the ordeal of seeing intimate deepfakes of themselves online,” Kendall said. “We cannot and will not allow the proliferation of these demeaning and degrading images, which are disproportionately aimed at women and girls.”

Urgent calls for action

“X needs to deal with this urgently,” Kendall said.

X did not immediately respond to a request for comment following Kendall’s statement.

X’s Safety account said on Sunday that it removes all illegal content on the platform and permanently suspends accounts involved.

“Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content,” it said.

Asked about the subject recently, X told the Reuters news agency: “Legacy Media Lies.”

Growing concerns

Creating or sharing nonconsensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated sexual imagery, is illegal in the United Kingdom. Additionally, tech platforms must prevent British users from encountering illegal content and remove it once they become aware of it.

Musk has shrugged off concerns online, posting laughing emojis in response to edited bikini images of public figures.

On Monday, the European Commission said it was aware that X was offering a “spicy mode” and condemned the images as unlawful.

Also on Monday, the UK’s media regulator Ofcom said it had made “urgent contact” with X and its AI arm xAI to understand what steps they were taking to comply with legal duties to protect UK users.

French officials have reported X to prosecutors and regulators, calling the content “manifestly illegal”, while Indian authorities have also demanded explanations.

United States regulators have yet to comment.

Grok has continually faced scrutiny for the content that it produces. Among other complaints, it has pushed misinformation, produced deepfakes of elected officials in the US prior to the 2024 presidential election, insulted Polish and Turkish politicians, and produced anti-Semitic content.