Elon Musk's X platform has announced new restrictions on its Grok AI tool after a fierce backlash over its use to generate non-consensual, sexually explicit imagery. Critics, including a prominent journalist who was herself a victim of image-based abuse, argue the changes are dangerously inadequate and are demanding the government consider an outright ban of X in the UK.
A 'Non-Fix' for a Grave Problem
On January 15, 2026, X issued a statement claiming it had implemented "technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing." The move was hailed by the government as a "vindication" of its pressure on the platform.
However, the fine print reveals a significant loophole. X further stated it would "geoblock the ability of all users to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear, and similar attire... in those jurisdictions where it’s illegal." This implies that only countries with existing specific AI imagery laws will be protected, leaving users in nations like the UK vulnerable.
Journalist Sharan Dhaliwal, writing for Metro, condemns this as a "non-statement" and argues X has made "little to no change." She asserts the platform is hiding its refusal to adequately stop users from sexualising women and children without their consent.
A Personal Horror Fuels a Public Campaign
Dhaliwal's stance is informed by brutal personal experience. In 2021, she discovered photos of herself, taken from Instagram, uploaded to a porn site with violent and graphic comments. "I had become sexualised without my knowledge or consent – I felt horrified and disgusted," she writes.
That same horror resurfaced with the revelation that Grok's AI image generator was being used to digitally strip clothes off images of real people. "For many of these sick individuals, that’s clearly part of the thrill," she notes, describing how users can @Grok in replies to a person's original post, forcing the victim to see the AI-generated abuse in their own timeline.
The problem is international in scale. Grok has already been banned in Malaysia and Indonesia, and UK regulator Ofcom has announced an investigation into safety concerns on X. Disturbingly, the tool has also been used to create explicit imagery of children.
The Case for a UK Ban on X
Dhaliwal, who left X in April 2025, describes the platform as a "cesspool of racism, far-right misinformation" and abusive AI content. She criticises Elon Musk's initial defence of Grok as a free speech issue, which he illustrated by posting an AI-generated image of Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a bikini.
"We should not be trying to save a platform that is owned by a mewling manchild who doesn’t understand the importance of reporting and banning illegal pedophilic or sexualised material," she argues. Convinced the site is "beyond reform, beyond redemption," she is urging both remaining users to quit and the UK government to take the "nuclear option" of a ban.
Despite searching for her own name on X via a friend's account, Dhaliwal lives with the enduring fear that her image is being violated somewhere online. Her powerful conclusion is a warning: "I escaped Grok, but millions of people are still at risk – because they are not making any meaningful change."
