ICO statement over X users creating non-consensual deepfake images using Grok AI

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has released a statement addressing reports of non-consensual sexual images on X depicting women and children with their clothing digitally removed. The images have been generated by Grok AI, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot owned by Elon Musk.

In the statement, a spokesperson for the ICO said: "People have a right to use social media knowing their personal data is being handled lawfully and with respect. We are aware of reports raising serious concerns about content produced by Grok. We have contacted X and xAI to seek clarity on the measures they have in place to comply with UK data protection law and protect individuals’ rights. Once we have reviewed their response, we will quickly assess whether further action may be required."

The statement comes after Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, said that the social media platform needed to “deal with this urgently” and called on Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, to take whatever enforcement action it deems necessary under the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA) to protect women and girls. Kendal added, "we cannot and will not allow the proliferation of these demeaning and degrading images... Make no mistake, the UK will not tolerate the endless proliferation of disgusting and abusive material online. We must all come together to stamp it out."

Meanwhile, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) warned that online criminals are using Grok to create sexual imagery of children. Ngaire Alexander, who heads the IWF hotline, said, "we can confirm our analysts have discovered criminal imagery of children aged between 11 and 13 which appears to have been created using the tool."  

As the story continues to unfold, the Financial Times (£) reported that Sir Kier Starmer has vowed to take action against X and called on the social media platfrom to “get their act together” and stop Grok from producing sexualised images of children. The European Commission has also ordered X to retain all documents relating to its Grok amid growing compliance concerns. 

However, in a sign of conciliation, The Register has learned that X has changed access to Grok's image-generation and editing features to paying subscribers from the previous unrestricted access setup.

£ - The Financial Times article requires a subscription. 

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