British regulator investigates X for illegal images created with its AI

The social network X, owned by Elon Musk, is investigated in England because Grok AI, the social network’s chatbot, generates false images of an intimate and sexual nature.

Ofcom, the British media regulator, reported in a statement that it has received information about the use of this artificial intelligence “to create and share images of people without clothes – which may amount to abuse of intimate images or pornography – and sexualized images of children which may amount to child sexual abuse material.”

For its part,

When asked if the social network could be banned in the country, British Business Secretary Peter Kyle said: “yes, of course,” but noted that that power rested with Ofcom.

In the UK, creating or sharing non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated sexual images, is illegal. In addition, technology platforms must prevent users from that country from encountering this type of content and eliminate it as soon as they become aware of it.

This investigation is not an isolated event, the French authorities have reported X to the prosecutor’s office and regulatory bodies, describing the content as “manifestly illegal”, while India has also demanded explanations.

In relation to the process, Ofcom will investigate whether X failed to assess the risk of Britons viewing illegal content and whether it took into account the risk to children. So in the most serious cases of non-compliance, the agency could ask a court to force “payment providers or advertisers to withdraw their services from a platform” or force internet service providers to block access to a site in the United Kingdom.

Ofcom seeks, among other things, to make online services safer for the people who use them, ensuring that companies have effective systems to protect users.

Legislation against “weapons of abuse”

The UK’s Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, announced yesterday that they will apply a new law this week that prohibits the modification of images without the consent of those involved (deepfakes).

Kendall said in the House of Commons that images of women and children without clothes generated with artificial intelligence and created without their consent are not “harmless images” but “weapons of abuse.”

“Under the Online Safety Act, sharing intimate images without the consent of those involved or threatening to share them, including images of people in underwear, is a criminal offense for individuals and platforms,” stated Kendall, who also noted that the Data Act, passed last year, already makes it a criminal offense to create or request the creation of intimate images without consent, adding that “this offense will come into force this week and I will make it a priority offense also under the Online Safety Act.

“This means that individuals will be committing a criminal offense if they create or seek to create this content, even on X. Anyone who does this can expect to face the full weight of the law,” he said.

He added that the responsibility does not rest solely with individuals and emphasized that the platforms that accept this material must also be held accountable, including X.

Grok has faced increasing criticism following the publication of reports that she was used to allegedly generate illegal sexual content. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously described the use of the chatbot to create such images as “shameful” and “disgusting”.

SpaceX dominates the market

Meanwhile, the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved updates to the Gen2 satellites of another of Elon Musk’s companies, SpaceX, so that it can expand its broadband and mobile services to more parts of the world.

“Thanks to this grant, SpaceX is authorized to build, deploy and operate an additional 7,500 Gen2 Starlink satellites, bringing the total to 15,000 satellites worldwide,” the US regulator said in a statement.

“This expansion will allow this company to offer high-speed, low-latency Internet service globally, including enhanced and complementary mobile coverage from space,” he continued.

Musk, the richest person in the world, already controls more than two-thirds of all active satellites, with a network of more than 9,000 Starlink devices currently in low Earth orbit.

The latest approval follows a 2022 decision that granted permission to ship 7,500 Starlink satellites, bringing the total authorized constellation to 15,000 by 2031.

The South African businessman hopes to eventually expand the Starlink network to 34,400 satellites, pending approval.

The latest decision from the Federal Communications Commission will allow SpaceX to operate on more frequencies to further increase coverage of both the Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) and the Mobile Satellite Service (MSS).

Opposition from competitors

Rival satellite companies have opposed Musk’s firm’s request to expand its coverage, and Viasat and GlobalStar filed petitions with the FCC to block the request.

“This proposed expansion of SpaceX’s operating authority would give it even greater ability and incentive to prevent other operators from competitively accessing and using limited orbital and spectral resources,” Viasat’s petition states.

“At the same time, the proposed operations would create insurmountable interference risks to other spectrum users and the customers they serve, prevent other operators from equitably accessing and using scarce spectral and orbital resources, undermine and foreclose competition and innovation, and otherwise harm the public.”

The FCC’s approval for another 7,500 Starlink satellites includes reporting obligations related to satellite disposal and collision prevention, after SpaceX revealed last month that it had lost control of one of its satellites.