UK Launches Unprecedented Regulatory Action Against X Over Grok’s Illegal Deepfakes
UK regulator Ofcom investigates X's Grok AI for generating nonconsensual deepfakes. PM Starmer warns platform could lose self-regulation rights if it fails to comply...
✨ Key Highlights
The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has issued a severe warning to Elon Musk’s X platform, stating it could lose its “right to self-regulate” if it fails to control its AI chatbot Grok, which is generating illegal sexualized deepfakes of women and children. This marks a significant regulatory confrontation, with Ofcom launching a formal investigation into X under the Online Safety Act.
- Ofcom can impose fines up to £18 million or 10 percent of X’s worldwide revenue.
- Prime Minister Starmer characterized the deepfakes as “absolutely disgusting and shameful.”
- Legislation from the Data (Use and Access) Act, making creation of nonconsensual intimate images a criminal offense, is being fast-tracked this week.
- X restricted Grok’s image generation to paying subscribers, a move Starmer’s office called “insulting.”
- Indonesia and Malaysia temporarily suspended access to Grok, while the US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Grok’s integration into Pentagon networks.
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UK Investigates Grok AI Deepfakes as Pentagon Deploys It and Apple Integrates Google's Gemini - January 2026
The UK government has launched unprecedented regulatory action against Elon Musk’s X platform, with Ofcom beginning a formal investigation into the AI chatbot Grok for generating illegal sexualized deepfakes. Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned X could lose its “right to self-regulate” under the Online Safety Act. Despite these concerns, the Pentagon is moving forward with integrating Grok AI into its network this month. Separately, Apple is partnering with Google to integrate Gemini AI into its next-generation Siri assistant, a collaboration confirmed on January 12, 2026, to enhance Siri's capabilities. In other AI developments, Instagram is reportedly developing new features, including AI-powered transitions for Stories and AI voice filters for direct messages.
