A powerful parliamentary committee has taken the unprecedented step of abandoning the social media platform X following revelations that its artificial intelligence tool is being used to generate sexually explicit 'deepfake' images.
Committee Takes Stand Against 'Online Violence'
The cross-party House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, chaired by Labour MP Sarah Owen, has decided to mothball its official account, which has roughly 27,000 followers. The move, agreed at a meeting on Wednesday, is a direct response to X's AI system, Grok, being used to create thousands of digitally altered images. These include sexualised and unclothed pictures of women and children, with clothing digitally removed.
Sarah Owen stated that, given the committee's key focus on preventing violence against women and girls, "it has become increasingly clear that X is not an appropriate platform to be using for our communications." She confirmed the account would be kept dormant to prevent impersonation, marking the first significant exit from X by a Westminster organisation.
MPs and Ministers Demand Action from Ofcom
The decision piles pressure on the government and regulators to act. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall labelled the AI-generated imagery "appalling and unacceptable in decent society" and has urged Ofcom to intervene. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the situation was a "disgrace" and that "all options remain on the table" for the regulator, which holds powers to impose multi-billion pound fines or restrict access to sites breaking the law.
Sarah Owen, who personally left X in 2024 over concerns about hate speech, plans to write to the Cabinet Office and Ofcom. She called for X to be forced to "immediately abide by UK law on online safety" and face sanctions if it refuses. On Monday, Ofcom confirmed it had contacted X and its AI arm, xAI, to understand their compliance with legal duties and would consider an investigation based on their response.
Cross-Party Condemnation and Wider Reactions
The scandal has drawn condemnation across the political spectrum. A spokesperson for Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, an avid X user with 350,000 followers, said she found the deepfakes "absolutely abhorrent" and wanted to see them "clamped down upon as soon as possible." When asked if Badenoch would leave the platform, her spokesperson declined to announce new policy.
Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who is paid by X for his engagement as a verified user, was questioned about earning money from a platform linked to such material. He avoided a direct answer but said he was "very worried" about the images and believed X would listen to criticism.
The committee's decisive move underscores a growing crisis of confidence in the platform's ability and willingness to police harmful AI-generated content, setting a stark precedent for other public bodies.
