Creating or requesting sexually explicit images generated by artificial intelligence without consent will become a criminal offence in the UK this week, the technology secretary has confirmed.
Liz Kendall said the move will fast-track provisions in existing legislation to tackle the growing misuse of AI tools, following mounting concern about the creation of sexualised images of women and children online.
Her announcement came just hours after media regulator Ofcom launched a formal investigation into X’s AI chatbot, Grok, amid reports it has been used to generate explicit imagery. The probe will examine whether the platform has breached its legal duties under UK online safety laws.
New criminal offences to target AI deepfake abuse
The Data (Use and Access) Act, passed last year, is being implemented in stages. Ms Kendall confirmed that the section making it illegal to create or request the creation of non-consensual intimate images will be brought into force this week.
She also said the government will move to criminalise apps that allow users to generate fake nude images of real people.
In parallel, the Crime and Policing Bill currently before Parliament will make it a criminal offence for companies to supply tools specifically designed to create non-consensual intimate images online.
Ms Kendall said the measures were aimed at “targeting the problem at its source”. She rejected claims that the changes would undermine free speech, saying: “This is about tackling violence against women and girls, it’s about upholding basic British values of decency and respect and ensuring the standards we expect offline are upheld online.
“And it is about exercising our sovereign power and responsibility to uphold the laws of this land.”
Ofcom investigates X and Grok over explicit content
Ofcom confirmed it contacted X, owned by Elon Musk, last Monday and gave the company a deadline of last Friday to explain what steps it had taken to meet its obligations to protect UK users.
The regulator said X responded within the deadline and that it has since carried out an “expedited assessment of available evidence as a matter of urgency”.
A formal investigation is now under way to assess whether the platform has “failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act”.
Ofcom said: “There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people – which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography – and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material.”
Ms Kendall urged swift action, saying: “It is vital that Ofcom complete this investigation swiftly because the public – and most importantly the victims – will not accept any delay.
“The content created and shared using Grok in recent days has been deeply disturbing.”
Political fallout and free speech concerns
Downing Street indicated the government could reconsider its use of X if the platform fails to address concerns about Grok, saying “all options are on the table”.
Asked whether the government would leave the platform, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Our focus today and over the last week has been fully on protecting children and ensuring this vile content is taken down immediately.”
Ministers have signalled support for a UK ban on X if Ofcom decides access should be blocked. However, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said banning the platform would be the “wrong answer”.
Speaking before the investigation began, she said: “I’m not even sure what question it is that they’re answering.
“What we are seeing is a Labour government that did not have a plan, and they’re just throwing out random policies, probably to distract from the fact that they’re putting businesses in a very difficult position.”
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said US Vice President JD Vance had been sympathetic to UK efforts to tackle AI-generated sexual images.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Elon Musk Claims X Critics Seek ‘Excuse For Censorship’ As Grok AI Faces UK Scrutiny
Mr Lammy told The Guardian he raised concerns during talks in the US about “the horrendous, horrific situation in which this new technology is allowing deepfakes and the manipulation of images of women and children, which is just absolutely abhorrent”.
“He agreed with me that it was entirely unacceptable,” Mr Lammy said.
By contrast, Elon Musk has accused the UK government of being “fascist” and attempting to restrict free speech. Responding to a post on X claiming the UK arrests more people for social media posts than “any other country on Earth”, Mr Musk wrote: “Real fascism is arresting thousands of people for social media posts.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also warned he feared the government could end up “suppressing free speech”.
For More, Follow SurgeZirc UK On Facebook, X, Instagram, and Bluesky
