“They just want to suppress free speech.” With these words, Elon Musk has drawn a battle line against the UK government, which is threatening to ban his platform X over the Grok AI scandal. The government’s threat comes after it was revealed that Grok was being used to create non-consensual sexual images of women and children. Musk’s stark framing of the issue as a censorship battle ignores the serious safety allegations and sets up a high-profile clash between the tech billionaire and the British state.
The abuse facilitated by Grok is severe. The AI was used to digitally strip women and girls in photos, replacing their clothes with swimwear or placing them in abusive situations. The generation of images showing violence and bondage has drawn widespread condemnation. For the government, this is not a matter of speech, but of safety and legality, particularly regarding the protection of children from sexual abuse material.
UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall stated that the government is “looking seriously” at blocking X. She warned that Ofcom is prepared to take action within days and that the government would back the regulator. Musk’s rhetoric appeals to his base of supporters who are suspicious of government regulation, but it risks alienating the broader public who are concerned about online safety.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined the criticism, calling the situation “abhorrent.” The international perspective largely rejects Musk’s “free speech” defense when it comes to non-consensual pornography. The incident has become a litmus test for how democracies can regulate powerful tech platforms without infringing on legitimate expression.
X has restricted image generation for free users but continues to offer the feature to paid subscribers. This suggests that Musk is willing to make some concessions, but not to back down entirely. The incident has also sparked calls for new legislation to ban “nudification” apps, ensuring that the debate moves beyond rhetoric to concrete legal action.