LONDON, Jan 13: The UK Government will launch criminal prosecutions for the creation of intimate images online without the user’s consent, UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Liz Kendall said.
On Monday, British media regulator Ofcom launched an investigation into xAI and Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok, which were used to generate pornographic images using artificial intelligence. If a violation is found, Ofcom could impose a fine equal to 10 percent of the company’s global revenue.
“Under the Online Safety Act 2023, sharing or threatening to share intimate images without someone’s consent, including images of people in their underwear, is a criminal offence for both individuals and platforms. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 made it a criminal offence to create or request the creation of non-consensual intimate images, and today I can announce to the House that this offence will be brought into force this week,” Kendall said in the UK parliament.
The minister also criticized X’s recent decision to restrict access to the Grok image-creation feature to paid subscribers, claiming that this is only “monetising abuse.”
On January 3, Musk said on X that “anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.”
The UK’s Online Safety Act 2023 grants Ofcom wide-ranging powers to enforce consumer protection legislation on television, radio, and the internet. It restricts access to content deemed harmful to children, including pornography, content promoting self-harm, eating disorders, and suicide. Violations can result in heavy fines and prison terms for platform operators. (UNI)
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