Elon Musk’s ex has announced that it will block the Grok AI tool from allowing users to manipulate images of people to show them in revealing clothing such as bikinis.
Here’s a guide to what X’s announcement means for the social media platform, its users and Ofcom.
What has X announced?
The social media platform said Wednesday it has implemented “technical measures” to stop the @groc account on X from allowing images of real people to be edited to make them appear in revealing clothing such as bikinis. Previously, users could ask @Grok to manipulate images, with the results published on the platform.
X said the ban will apply to all users, including X’s paid customers. X has approximately 300 million monthly users and up to 2.6 million subscribers.
The platform also said that the ability to create and edit any images through the @grok account will be limited to subscribers. This means that individuals attempting to break the law or X’s policies can be more easily detected.
X is introducing additional limitations for specific countries that toggle the Grok button inside It is limiting the ability of users in some jurisdictions to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear and similar clothing via @Grok and the Grok button inside the app, if such behavior is illegal in those countries. This is a process known as geoblocking and is expected to be implemented on the Grok app as well.
Distributing intimate photographs of people without their consent, colloquially known as “revenge porn”, is illegal in the UK, so geoblocking will be enforced in this jurisdiction at least.
What is new in X’s statement?
Earlier Wednesday, the @grok account on X said it had turned off its image creation function for non-subscribers — the vast majority of its user base. However, this was criticized by the UK government as it suggested that digital stripping of women and children could still be carried out by paying customers. The Grok app appeared to be unaffected.
This latest announcement is X’s first statement on the matter since January 4. It goes into more detail than the @Grok message, making clear that there will be broader restrictions on @Grok accounts and the Grok button inside the
How did the UK government respond?
A Downing Street source described the move as a “decree” for the Prime Minister. Keir Starmer has called the flood of nude images “disgusting” and “shameful”. The UK Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, said she welcomed the move, but still hoped that Ofcom’s ongoing investigation into X’s behavior would “fully and firmly establish” the facts behind what happened.
Last week the government said it would support Ofcom if it decided to make full use of its powers under UK online safety laws, including a UK-wide ban on the platform.
Does the announcement of X make the chances of a UK ban less likely?
Yes. Sanctions under the Online Security Act (OSA) were always the nuclear option and are considered reserved for serious, ongoing violations of the law. X appears to have addressed this with its announcement.
“If the technical measures that X has put in place work then banning the platform becomes less of a possibility,” says Lorna Woods, professor of internet law at the University of Essex.
Will X still face punishment?
Ofcom issued a statement on Thursday saying it was still investigating Ax, meaning he could still be punished.
“This is a welcome development,” the regulator said of the changes. “However, our formal investigation is ongoing. We are working around the clock to follow this up and get answers about what went wrong and what is being done to fix it.”
X is under investigation for the circumstances surrounding the intimate image torrent, which began in December and intensified after Christmas.
Ofcom is focusing on whether X breached the Act in the following ways: failing to assess the risk of people viewing illegal content on the platform; Not taking appropriate steps to prevent users from viewing illegal content such as intimate image abuse and child sexual abuse material; not removing illegal content promptly; Not protecting users from privacy law violations; Failing to assess the risks that X may pose to children; and not using effective age checks for viewing pornography.
If found to be in breach of the Act in those circumstances, X still faces the possibility of a fine of up to 10% of global turnover or being forced to take specific steps to comply with OSHA.
What is the possible outcome?
This is Ofcom’s most high-profile investigation to date, so if it is found to have breached the Act it could fine X to send an example to others. Alternatively, it could decide that X is now in compliance with the act and move forward, as it did with Snapchat on Thursday.
Ofcom announced that it had raised concerns that the platform had failed to conduct adequate risk assessments relating to illegal content appearing on the site. It said Snapchat had addressed its concerns as part of the enforcement process, made changes and decided no further action would be taken.
Nevertheless, if X is found to be in breach of the Act, Ofcom may feel the need to issue a fine as a precedent.
