UK presses X to address intimate deepfake images

Technology minister Liz Kendall called the nonconsensual images of women and minors ‘absolutely appalling’.Published On 6 Jan 2026The 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.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Syria’s new currency removes al-Assad family images, seeks to boost economylist 2 of 4Trump’s bid to commandeer Venezuela’s oil sector faces hurdles, experts saylist 3 of 4Venezuela after Maduro: Oil, power and the limits of interventionlist 4 of 4Trump administration sets meetings with oil companies on Venezuela: Reportend of listTechnology 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 concernsCreating 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.