LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Britain's media regulator launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X on Monday over concerns its Grok AI chatbot was creating sexually intimate deepfake images in violation of its duty to protect people in the UK from illegal content.
The British government said a new law making it an offence to create sexual deepfakes would come into force this week to tackle the images, which it called "weapons of abuse".
Technology Minister Liz Kendall told lawmakers on Monday that the government also plans legislation that will tackle the problem at the source by making it illegal for companies to supply tools designed to create deepfakes.
The Ofcom probe piles additional pressure on the social media platform of the world's richest man, which is already facing a growing public outcry as well as criminal and regulatory probes around the world, from France to India.
"Reports of Grok being used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X have been deeply concerning," it said in a statement.
Platforms must protect people in Britain from illegal content, the regulator said, adding that it would not "hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there's a risk of harm to children."
When asked on Monday about the investigation, X pointed to a previous statement in which it said it takes action against illegal content on the platform, including child sexual abuse material, by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary.
"Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content," it said.
STARMER: GROK IMAGES ARE 'DISGUSTING', 'UNLAWFUL'
The regulator is under pressure to act after Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday called the images "disgusting" and "unlawful".Musk's X had to "get a grip" on Grok, he said.
Following initial action against porn sites that did not have effective age checks, the Grok case will likely be the first big test of Britain's online safety law, which was enacted in 2023 but is being implemented in stages by Ofcom.
Asked on Monday whether X could be banned, Business Secretary Peter Kyle said: "Yes, of course," but he noted that the power to do so lay with Ofcom.
Musk wrote on X on Saturday that, in focusing on Grok and X, Britain's government "just want to suppress free speech".
Kendall said on Monday it was not a freedom of speech issue.
"It is about tackling violence against women and girls," she told lawmakers.
"It's about upholding basic British values of decency and respect and ensuring that standards that we expect offline are upheld online, and it is about exercising our sovereign power."
She said victims and the public expected swift and decisive action from Ofcom, adding that X could act now to ensure illegal material can't be shared on its platform.
Under the online safety act, tech platforms must prevent British users from encountering illegal content and remove it once they become aware of it.
MOUNTING INTERNATIONAL OUTCRY
X has faced condemnation in other countries over the feature, which can produce images of women and minors in skimpy clothing.
French officials have reported X to prosecutors and regulators, calling the content "manifestly illegal", while Indian authorities have also demanded explanations. Indonesia and Malaysia temporarily blocked Grok over the weekend.
X said it has restricted requests to undress people in images to paying users.
Ofcom will investigate whether X failed to assess the risk that people in Britain would see illegal content, and whether it considered the risk to children.
In the most serious cases of non-compliance it could ask a court to require "payment providers or advertisers to withdraw their services from a platform", or make internet service providers block access to a site in Britain.
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti, Paul Sandle, Andrew MacAskill and Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton, Sharon Singleton and Joe Bavier)
