Lib Dems call for NCA investigation into X over AI-generated sexual abuse material

EMBARGO: Immediate Release 

Liberal Democrats have called on the National Crime Agency to launch an urgent criminal investigation into X in response to the proliferation of AI-generated sexual abuse material created by the site's AI generation tool ‘Grok’.

The party warns that the platform has become "awash" with non-consensual deepfake imagery overwhelmingly targeting women and children. The Liberal Democrats are calling on the NCA to investigate whether X is criminally liable for facilitating the creation and distribution of this material, and to pursue individuals responsible for generating it.

Liberal Democrats argue that Government’s response to date has been "woefully inadequate," with Ofcom relying on future assurances from X rather than using the enforcement powers granted by Parliament. The party is therefore calling for Ofcom to block X from operating in the UK while a full investigation by the NCA takes place.

Victoria Collins MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Science, Innovation and Technology, said:

"We cannot stand by and wait for someone such as Elon Musk to do the right thing while real people are being abused and exploited as we speak.

"If any other service were found to be generating sexual abuse material at this scale, the police would be knocking on their door immediately. X cannot be allowed to be an exception.

“Liberal Democrats are calling for a full criminal investigation into X’s UK operations. But, we cannot wait for a far off verdict - access to X must be immediately restricted while a thorough investigation is conducted. The safety of women and children must always come before the profits of social media giants.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor: 

The letter the NCA can be found here:

Dear Director General,

We are writing to urge the National Crime Agency to launch an urgent criminal investigation into X (formerly Twitter), in relation to the generation and dissemination of illegal sexual abuse imagery through its in-built artificial intelligence tool, Grok.

Recent reporting has revealed deeply disturbing instances in which Grok has been used to generate non-consensual, sexualised images of women, as well as sexualised images of children. The creation, possession and distribution of such material is a serious criminal offence. The ease with which this material has repeatedly been produced raises profound concern that criminal activity is being facilitated by the platform.

If any other service were found to be generating or enabling access to such large volumes of sexual abuse material, it would rightly face immediate criminal investigation. It is alarming that X appears to continue operating, relying on assurances of future safeguards, rather than being subject to robust law enforcement now.

While Ofcom has expressed serious concerns and is examining the platform’s compliance with the Online Safety Act, this situation is not being treated with anything like the seriousness it demands. This goes well beyond a regulatory failure: harmful criminal offences are being committed by British individuals, and a corporate entity appears to be facilitating them while refusing to take effective steps to prevent them. These matters fall squarely within the remit of the National Crime Agency.

The safety of women and children online must be treated with the utmost seriousness. The continued availability of AI tools that can be used to generate sexual abuse imagery represents a clear and present risk to the public. I therefore urge the NCA to investigate X and its UK operations, assess whether criminal offences have been committed, and take appropriate enforcement action, including against individuals responsible for generating and sharing illegal content.

I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you or your colleagues to discuss these concerns further and to understand what steps are being taken to protect the public from this rapidly evolving threat.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Max Wilkinson MP

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Home Affairs

Victoria Collins MP

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Science, Innovation and Technology

Marie Goldman MP

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Women and Equalities