Starmer takes on Musk and Trump over ‘insulting’ Grok modifications on sexualised photos | EUROtoday

Keir Starmer’s authorities is squaring up for a battle with Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s administration because the row over the creation of sexualised photos on X escalated.

Downing Street warned that modifications to Mr Musk’s AI chatbot Grok, which turned off picture era for all however paid subscribers after it was used to take away clothes from kids, have been “insulting” to victims of misogyny and sexual violence and had made creating deepfakes a “premium service”.

The Grok instrument started replying to picture requests by indicating the service is simply obtainable to “paying subscribers” on Friday, following world backlash over studies it has been used to generate sexualised photos of ladies and youngsters.

The transfer got here after Sir Keir indicated that the social media platform could possibly be fully blocked within the UK after “unlawful” and “disgusting” photos have been generated.

The regulator Ofcom mentioned it was finishing up an “expedited assessment” of the response it had acquired after contacting X and Grok’s creator xAI about pretend photos after requires it to take pressing motion.

Earlier, the prime minister’s spokesperson mentioned modifications to restrict utilization of the Grok to paying customers have been “not a solution” however proved that Mr Musk’s social media web site can transfer shortly when it desires to.

The spokesperson mentioned: “That move… that simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service.

“It’s not a solution. In fact, it’s insulting the victims of misogyny and sexual violence. What it does prove is that X can move swiftly when it wants to do so.”

Ramping up the strain for motion in a broadcast interview on Friday afternoon, tech secretary Liz Kendall demanded that Ofcom “uses the full powers of the law” in opposition to the platform.

She mentioned: “I think the images being produced are despicable and abhorrent, and sexualising images of children is one of the worst crimes imaginable. And I think it is insulting to say that you can still access this service if you pay for it. So, Ofcom should use the full powers of the law that Parliament has given it.

“X needs to get a grip and get this material down. And I would remind them that in the Online Safety Act, there are backstop powers to block access to services if they refuse to comply with the law for people in the UK. And if Ofcom decides to use those powers, they would have the full backing of the government.”

She added: “The government, and more importantly the public, will expect to see next steps from Ofcom in days, not weeks. It is absolutely essential that they abide by the law and get those images down.”

The intervention comes after an 18-month-long confrontation between Mr Musk and Sir Keir, with the X proprietor utilizing his platform to assault the prime minister and stage insults at him, together with suggesting he’s “complicit in crimes”, is “tyrannical” and a “national embarrassment”.

Mr Musk has additionally brazenly supported far-right activist Tommy Robinson, suggesting that when he was in jail, most lately for contempt of courtroom, he was a political prisoner and has pursued the prime minister on the problem of the Asian grooming gangs.

The row has widened to incorporate the Trump administration, with Vice President JD Vance amongst others, extremely essential of the Online Safety Act, which he thought to be an assault on the US financial system and free speech.

Recently, a UK activist for on-line security, Imran Ahmed, the British founder and CEO of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), was refused an entry visa into the US. And there have additionally been rows over the variety of arrests within the UK for the misuse of social media.

The Independent beforehand revealed that Mr Vance was pushing for the US’s commerce cope with the UK to incorporate ensures on free speech and rolling again on-line security legal guidelines.

The tensions on free speech now appear set to resurface over Mr Musk’s X because it has confronted world backlash in current days after its AI instrument was repeatedly used to generate undressed photos of individuals with out consent.

The modifications within the guidelines imply solely these with their identify and fee data on file will be capable of use.

Leading home abuse charity Refuge warned that the transfer to dam all however Grok subscribers from accessing picture era represented the “monetisation of abuse” and allowed X to “profit from harm”.

“While limiting AI image generation to paid users may marginally reduce volume and improve traceability, the abuse has not been stopped,” Emma Pickering, head of technology-facilitated abuse and financial empowerment at Refuge, mentioned.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) additionally confirmed the instrument had been used to create “criminal imagery of children aged between 11 and 13”.

An Ofcom spokesman mentioned: “We urgently made contact on Monday and set a firm deadline of today to explain themselves, to which we have received a response.

“We’re now undertaking an expedited assessment as a matter of urgency and will provide further updates shortly.”