The UK government will introduce a new criminal offence this week targeting the creation of non-consensual intimate images, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced on Monday, amid growing concerns over artificial intelligence (AI)-generated deepfakes.

The announcement follows an investigation into X’s AI chatbot, Grok, which has reportedly been used to produce sexualised images of individuals without their consent. Under the new rules, X will be legally required to remove such content.

Kendall described the AI-generated sexualised images as “weapons of abuse” and said recent deepfakes circulating on the platform were “vile” and illegal. Speaking in Parliament, she noted that the Online Safety Act already makes sharing intimate images without consent a criminal offence for individuals and platforms alike.

She added that the Data Act, passed last year, criminalises the creation or commissioning of non-consensual intimate images. The government will now bring this offence into force and designate it a priority under the Online Safety Act.

The UK’s communications regulator Ofcom has opened a formal investigation into X, examining whether the platform has met obligations under the Online Safety Act. The review will assess whether the company has properly evaluated the risk of UK users encountering illegal content and whether risk assessments were updated before making significant service changes.

Kendall said the government’s action aimed to protect users and make platforms accountable for AI-generated content that could be used to harass or abuse individuals.

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