Labour’s first ‘Twitter tsar’ says ministers should get off ‘cesspit’ X immediately
Labour MP urges colleagues to quit ‘cesspit’ X after Grok AI scandal
- Labour MP Kerry McCarthy has branded X a "cesspit" and urged ministers and the Labour Party to immediately quit the social media platform after its AI tool, Grok, was used to generate non-consensual sexualised images.
- Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer issued an ultimatum to X owner Elon Musk, threatening "fast action" if the platform cannot control Grok, while the regulator Ofcom has launched a formal investigation into X's compliance with UK laws.
- Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has encouraged Ofcom to use its full powers, including a potential ban on X in the UK, though this move is opposed by some, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who cite free speech concerns.
- The government is introducing new legislation, including a criminal offence for non-consensual internet images set to come into force in February, and will criminalise nudification apps under the Crime and Policing Bill.
- Despite the Prime Minister's strong stance, many senior ministers continue to use X, while X reportedly made changes to Grok's settings to limit image manipulation, though the effectiveness of these changes is disputed.