Saturday, July 11, 2026

UK Minister Urges Crackdown on Elon Musk’s Deepfake Platform

Share

The UK’s minister responsible for protecting individuals from harm has urged law enforcement to vigorously pursue individuals who utilize Elon Musk’s Grok platform to create disturbing deepfake images of children.

Jess Phillips expressed her concerns to The Mirror, emphasizing that the technology mogul’s X platform must not evade responsibility as public outrage escalates over the controversy. Grok, an artificial intelligence tool offered by X, has faced criticism for producing altered images of individuals, including minors, without their consent.

Phillips asserted that features enabling such actions should not be tolerated, leading to severe consequences for those engaging in such harmful behavior. Following X’s announcement that Grok’s deepfake creation capabilities would become a paid service, Phillips dismissed this move as insufficient and called for stronger actions to combat the issue.

She emphasized the need for law enforcement to actively pursue those responsible for generating or disseminating harmful AI-generated content. Phillips condemned the existence of tools that facilitate the creation of degrading and non-consensual images, stressing that regulatory compliance is essential to prevent further harm to individuals, particularly women and girls who are disproportionately affected.

Additionally, Phillips highlighted the legal obligation of social media platforms to promptly remove such content, warning that non-compliance could result in substantial fines from the regulator Ofcom. She underscored the government’s commitment to combatting child sexual abuse and reiterated the severe legal repercussions for those involved in creating or distributing AI-generated abusive material.

Celebrities like Maya Jama have joined the call to cease the generation of unauthorized images, as new legislation aims to criminalize the production and distribution of harmful AI content involving children. Labour’s strategy against violence targeting women and girls aligns with efforts to outlaw applications that produce deepfake images without consent.

Phillips commended the government’s legislative actions to penalize individuals using tools like Grok for unauthorized deepfake creation, emphasizing the urgency in enforcing these measures. She called on platforms like X to take responsibility and collaborate with regulators to address the issue promptly, warning of further government intervention if necessary.

Recent concerns raised by Ofcom regarding Grok’s production of sexualized images of children prompted urgent communication with Musk’s company, highlighting the need to address lapses in safeguarding measures. Musk affirmed that individuals engaging in illegal content creation using Grok would face legal consequences.

The response from Grok acknowledged the need to rectify safety deficiencies promptly, emphasizing that child sexual abuse material is strictly prohibited. Musk reiterated that any misuse of the platform for illegal purposes would result in severe repercussions.

Stay informed with the latest news by selecting Daily Mirror as your preferred source on Google News for convenient access to the news that matters to you.

Read more

Local News