Elon Musk’s X moved to limit image editing through its AI Grok tool to paying users, after facing fire globally over users being able to create sexualised deepfakes.

Through Grok’s official X account, the company stated image generation and editing are “currently limited to paying subscribers”, followed by a sign-up link, meaning names and payment information must be on record to access the feature.

Professor Clare McGlynn, an expert in legal regulation of pornography and online abuse, told BBC News Musk (pictured) had “thrown his toys out the pram in protest at being held to account for the tsunami of abuse”.

“Instead of taking responsible steps to ensure Grok could not be used for abusive purposes it has withdrawn access for the vast majority of users,” she added.

Disgraceful
Pressure on X to stop users asking Grok to create altered images which undress people without their consent ramped this week.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government is giving its full support to regulator Ofcom to take action against the content, describing the creation of sexualised images of adults and children as “disgraceful and disgusting”.

Ofcom and the European Commission both requested X address the spread of the images, accusing the company of allowing illegal behaviour.

Under the UK’s Online Safety Act, Ofcom deemed it unlawful to create or share intimate or sexually explicit images of people without consent.