Ofcom probes X over online safety laws — Channel NewsAsia

In the United Kingdom, media regulator Ofcom said it remains concerned about X’s efforts to tackle illegal content related to hatred and terrorism. The regulator is assessing whether the company has fulfilled its legal obligations to protect people in the country from illegal content, Channel NewsAsia reports.

Response to illegal content

In its first quarterly report to Ofcom, X said it had met its commitments to review suspected illegal content containing hateful material or related to terrorism within agreed timeframes. According to the report, response times improved compared with materials the regulator reviewed earlier this year.

At the same time, Ofcom reported ongoing doubts about the effectiveness of X’s actions to remove such content. The regulator also received mixed feedback about the company’s engagement with third-party experts. X did not immediately comment in response to a Reuters request.

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Restrictions for Grok

Ofcom also said that SpaceXAI, formerly known as xAI, had introduced additional restrictions for the separate Grok chatbot service. In particular, users in the United Kingdom were restricted from viewing, creating and sharing pornographic content, while companion chatbots, including Ani, were barred from engaging in sexually explicit conversations.

The regulator opened an investigation in January following reports that Grok had been used to create and distribute sexualized images that could constitute illegal content. Reuters previously found that the chatbot generated such images of people even after users indicated that the individuals depicted had not consented to this.