U.S. Presses U.K. Over Probe Into X After AI Chatbot Grok Generated Nonconsensual Porn

The U.S. State Department urged British authorities to pause before imposing restrictions on Elon Musk’s social platform, X, after reports that the platform’s AI chatbot, Grok, could generate nonconsensual pornographic images — reportedly including images of children.

In an interview aired Tuesday on London-based GB News, State Department Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers warned that “nothing is off the table when it comes to free speech,” and suggested the British regulator Ofcom’s probe into nonconsensual pornography on X could raise free-speech concerns.

“Let’s wait and see what Ofcom does, and we’ll see what America does in response,” Rogers said. She added that X has “political valence that the British government is antagonistic to, doesn’t like, and that’s what’s really going on.”

Critics say that framing the investigation as primarily a political or free-speech issue conflates two separate matters. Producing sexually explicit images of unwitting people — and especially images involving minors — is an exploitative, harmful act, not a political stance. Government efforts to limit nonconsensual or abusive material are generally presented as protective measures, not censorship of legitimate political expression. The administration has previously supported anti-deepfake and revenge-porn laws passed last spring.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on during a meeting with U.S. oil company executives on Jan. 9, 2026, in the East Room of the White House.(Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images)

When asked about the probe by Reuters, X said it “takes action against illegal content on the platform, including child sexual abuse material, by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary.”

Regulatory responses have already emerged outside the U.S. and U.K.: Indonesia and Malaysia moved quickly to ban Grok last weekend, and the European Commission has opened its own inquiries into the matter. The episode adds to growing international scrutiny of how fast-developing AI tools are policed and regulated.

Observers also pointed to a political contrast: the administration — which has faced scrutiny over the handling of documents tied to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein — might be expected to demonstrate a robust stance against sexual exploitation rather than appearing to undercut other countries’ efforts to curb it.

As investigations proceed, the situation raises broader questions about platform responsibility, AI safeguards, cross-border regulation and how governments balance protection from harm with free-speech principles.