UK Targets AI Deepfakes With New Law, Ofcom Investigates X

The UK government has passed a new law that makes creating non-consensual intimate deepfake images a criminal offense, following growing concerns over AI misuse on social platforms.

As reported by The Verge, the move comes amid scrutiny of Grok, the AI tool integrated into X, which users allegedly exploited to generate explicit deepfake content.

UK criminalizes non-consensual AI deepfakes as Ofcom probes X

The offense now counts as a “priority offence” under the UK’s Online Safety Act, requiring online platforms to proactively prevent deepfake nudification and other non-consensual intimate images from appearing on their services.

Ofcom investigation could lead to heavy fines

UK media regulator Ofcom is investigating X to determine whether it violated safety laws by allowing Grok to generate or host explicit deepfakes. If Ofcom finds breaches, X could face penalties of up to £18 million or 10 percent of its global revenue. While no timeline exists yet, the UK government expects Ofcom to set one soon.

The new law targets not only the sharing of intimate deepfakes, but also their creation or even requesting them. UK officials, including the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, stressed victim protection and the urgency of addressing harms caused by AI-generated abuse.

The UK’s action follows international scrutiny of Grok and similar tools, with several countries already banning Grok. Public warnings from figures such as Bill Gates have also fueled calls for stricter AI regulation.

In other UK news, an employment tribunal recently rejected a request to compensate fired Rockstar Games employees while their dismissal case continues.