X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, has abruptly restricted access to the image editing features of its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok. The function is now available only to users with a paid subscription.
Subscription Wall Follows Criminal Abuse Findings
The significant policy shift was implemented after a stark warning from the UK-based Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). The charity, which works to eliminate child sexual abuse material online, confirmed that criminals had exploited Grok's capabilities.
On Friday 9 January 2026, the IWF's head of hotline, Ngaire Alexander, stated: "Following reports that the AI chatbot Grok has generated sexual imagery of children, 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."
Users attempting to upload and alter images with Grok are now met with a message reading: "Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers." By gating the tool behind a paywall, X ensures it holds the name and payment details of anyone using the image editing function, potentially aiding accountability.
Political and Public Backlash Intensifies
The move comes amid growing fury over the proliferation of AI-generated deepfake content on the platform. In recent days, numerous users, predominantly women, have reported discovering sexually explicit AI images of themselves circulating on X.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the situation as "disgraceful" and "disgusting." In a direct challenge to the platform, he demanded that X "get their act together" and "get a grip on this."
Elon Musk, who owns both X and the AI firm xAI behind Grok, has previously asserted that "anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content." On Wednesday, he announced a new version of Grok had been released and urged users to update their apps, though the specific changes were not detailed.
Platform's Response and Ongoing Scrutiny
X has stated publicly that it takes action against illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and cooperating with law enforcement where necessary.
However, this latest incident places the platform's content moderation policies and the ethical deployment of its AI tools under intense scrutiny. The restriction of a powerful feature to a verified, paying user base represents a direct attempt to curb anonymous misuse, but questions remain about the effectiveness of this measure and the platform's broader strategy to combat harmful AI-generated imagery.
Sky News has contacted X for further comment on the policy change and its ongoing efforts to police the tool.
