Authorities accused of dragging its heels on deepfake legislation over Grok AI

Campaigners have accused the federal government of dragging its heels on implementing a legislation which might make it unlawful to create non-consensual sexualised deepfakes.

It comes amid a backlash towards photos created utilizing Elon Musk’s AI Grok to digitally take away clothes – with one lady telling the BBC greater than 100 sexualised photos have been created of her.

It’s at the moment unlawful to share deepfakes of adults within the UK, however new laws that might make it a legal offence to create or request them remains to be not in power regardless of passing in June 2025.

However it’s unclear whether or not the entire unclothing photos created by Grok would fall foul of this legislation. The BBC has contacted the federal government for remark.

In an announcement, X mentioned: “Anybody utilizing or prompting Grok to make unlawful content material will endure the identical penalties as in the event that they add unlawful content material.”

“We take motion towards unlawful content material on X, together with Baby Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM), by eradicating it, completely suspending accounts, and dealing with native governments and legislation enforcement as needed,” the assertion mentioned.

Grok might be accessed by way of its web site and app, or by tagging “@grok” in posts on the social media platform X.

However Andrea Simon from Finish Violence In opposition to Ladies mentioned by not placing the legislation into impact, the federal government had “put ladies and ladies in hurt’s approach”.

“Non-consensual sexually specific deepfakes are a transparent violation of ladies’s rights and have a long-lasting, traumatic impression on victims,” she mentioned.

“For ladies utilizing platforms like X, the specter of this abuse can even imply they really feel the necessity to self-censor and alter their behaviour, proscribing their freedom of expression and participation on-line.”

“This isn’t solely a legal justice challenge however a difficulty of regulating a tech ecosystem that facilitates and income from violence towards ladies and ladies.”

On Tuesday, Expertise Secretary Liz Kendall demanded X “take care of this urgently”, calling the state of affairs “completely appalling”.

The regulator Ofcom mentioned it had made “pressing contact” with X and xAI, which constructed Grok, on Monday and advised the BBC it was investigating issues.

Each Kendall and Downing Avenue have backed the regulator taking motion, with the Prime Minister’s spokesperson including on Wednesday “all choices remained on the desk”.

The Ministry of Justice advised the BBC: “It’s already an offence to share intimate photos on social media, together with deepfakes, with out consent.

“We refuse to tolerate this degrading and dangerous behaviour, which is why we’ve got additionally launched laws to ban their creation with out consent.”

The present legislation says it’s unlawful to generate pornographic deepfakes when utilized in revenge porn or depicting kids.

A provision within the Information (Use and Entry) Act 2025 criminalised the creation or commissioning of “purported intimate photos” – or deepfakes – Lorna Woods, Professor of Web legislation at Essex College, advised the BBC.

However a 12 months on from first asserting a crackdown on the offence, the federal government has nonetheless not introduced a key authorized provision that would goal these asking grok to make sexualised deepfakes of ladies and ladies, consultants and campaigners have advised the BBC.

Professor Woods mentioned this offence “would appear to be a superb match for among the photos which have been created utilizing Grok” but it surely had not but been introduced into power.

In the meantime the EVAW’s Simon questioned why the secondary laws wanted to make creating sexual deepfakes against the law had nonetheless not occurred, given they have been “a transparent violation of ladies’s rights”.

“This legislation has nonetheless not come into power,” she mentioned, “nor has a date been set for when this can happen”.

Conservative peer Baroness Owen, who campaigned for the authorized change within the Home of Lords, advised the BBC the federal government had “repeatedly dragged its heels” to deliver the principles into impact.

“We can’t afford any extra delays,” she mentioned.

“Survivors of this abuse deserve higher.

“Nobody ought to need to reside in worry of their consent being violated on this appalling approach.”

And cross-bench peer Baroness Beeban Kidron advised the BBC: “Expertise strikes quick, and this laws is meant to plug an present hole, so there isn’t a excuse for delay.”

The BBC has spoken to a number of ladies who’ve had photos they posted of themselves on X became deepfakes by the Grok AI.

Grok is a free device which customers usually tag beneath different folks’s feedback with prompts to present a response or context.

Extra not too long ago, folks have been ready to make use of the chatbot to change photos they or different folks have uploaded by tagging it and together with a textual content immediate – even when that features undressing them or placing them in sexualised poses.

Evie advised the BBC whereas she seen folks began to answer to photos of herself asking Grok to place her in a bikini just a few months in the past, the newest replace had made it “simpler” for customers to do, and the images appeared “extra life like”.

She says she now has had no less than 100 sexualised photos of herself created by way of the AI assistant, so many in order that she has given up reporting all of them because of the “psychological pressure” concerned in viewing them.

In addition to having to take a look at the photographs herself, the concept of family members seeing her in sexual or undressed poses has additionally made staying on X very tough for her.

“My household observe me on there, my associates, my co-workers,” she mentioned.

“Understanding that each one the folks I care about in my life can see me like that… it is disgusting.”

Dr Daisy Dixon is one other feminine X person who advised the BBC she has seen a rise in folks utilizing Grok to undress her, significantly utilizing her profile image.

She mentioned the images left her feeling “humiliated” – and mentioned the actual fact Grok routinely commented the altered photos at her left her feeling as if she had been assaulted.

“To have that energy transfer of posting it again to you – it is like saying ‘I’ve management over you and I’ll maintain reminding you I’ve management over you’,” she mentioned.

“We do not need to dilute the idea, but it surely appears like a form of assault on the physique.”

And X customers similar to Evie say motion must occur now.

“There’s so many locations on-line that you are able to do this, however the truth that it was taking place on Twitter with the in-built AI bot – that is loopy that is allowed,” she mentioned.

“Why is that this allowed and why is nothing being completed about it?”