Trump officials threaten UK government after talks of X ban
President Donald Trump has officially threatened the UK government after talks of a ban on the social media platform X.
Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer has warned Elon Musk’s X that, if it cannot control its AI chatbot, Grok, 'we will', and that the social media site could lose the 'right to self-regulate'.
It comes as media watchdog Ofcom launched an investigation into whether the platform has breached UK law over reports that Grok was used to create and share sexualised images of women and children.
Grok, developed by another company founded by Musk, xAI, launched an advanced image-generation feature in July 2025.
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But its use for creating nude deepfake images has become widespread over the last few weeks, prompting condemnation from the Government and the Ofcom probe.
In a statement, Ofcom said it will investigate the platform to determine whether it 'has complied with its duties to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal'.
"There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people – which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography – and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material," they continued.
'Weapons of abuse'
Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, meanwhile, told MPs that creating non-consensual intimate images will become a criminal offence this week and described sexualised images created by AI as 'weapons of abuse'.
Kendall said the Internet Watch Foundation 'reports criminal imagery of children as young as 11, including girls sexualised and toddlers', as she continued to say: "This is child sexual abuse. We’ve seen reports of photos being shared of women in bikinis, tied up and gagged, with bruises, covered in blood, and much, much more.
"Lives can and have been devastated by this content, which is designed to harass, torment and violate people’s dignity.
"They are not harmless images. They’re weapons of abuse, disproportionately aimed at women and girls, and they are illegal."
Kendall added that Ofcom’s investigation into Grok must not take 'months and months'.
When will the ban come into effect?
As we reported, Kendall announced that the criminal offence would take effect this week under the Data (Use and Access) Act, passed by Parliament last year.
However, a spokesman for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology said while the legal steps to introduce the offence were being made this week, it would not come into force until February.
The spokesman said: "The ban will come into force in early February, 21 days after being signed, as is standard practice. But platforms already have a legal duty to stop the proliferation of these images under the Online Safety Act.
"X doesn’t need to wait for the Ofcom investigation to conclude."
What has Keir Starmer said?
Addressing a meeting of backbenchers at the Parliamentary Labour Party, the Prime Minister said: "The actions of Grok and X are absolutely disgusting and shameful.
"Protecting their abusive users, rather than the women and children who are being abused, shows a total distortion of priorities.
"So let me be crystal clear, we won’t stand for it, because no matter how unstable or complex the world becomes, this Government will be guided by its values. We’ll stand up for the vulnerable against the powerful.
"If X cannot control Grok, we will – and we’ll do it fast because if you profit from harm and abuse, you lose the right to self-regulate."
Downing Street's statement
Downing Street has meanwhile indicated that it is willing to consider leaving X if Musk’s company does not act.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the Government’s focus was on 'protecting children' but was keeping its presence on X 'under review', adding: "I think we’ve been clear that all options are on the table."
Elon Musk's response
In response to ministers’ threats, Musk has accused the UK Government of trying to curb free speech, writing on his X account: “They just want to suppress free speech.”
And in response to a post about why other AI platforms weren't also being investigated, he claimed that the UK government wanted 'any excuse for censorship'.
The Tesla CEO had previously addressed the consequences for those using the chatbot to 'make illegal content', saying: "Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content."
Trump officials' response
Last week, US congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna threatened to implement sanctions on the UK if the ban went ahead, writing on X: "If Starmer is successful in banning X in Britain, I will move forward with legislation that is currently being drafted to sanction not only Starmer, but Britain as a whole.
“This would mirror actions previously taken by the United States in response to foreign governments restricting the platform, including the dispute with Brazil in 2024–2025, which resulted in tariffs, visa revocations, and sanctions and consequences tied to free speech concerns against Brazilian officials over concerns related to censorship and free-speech violations.
"Starmer should reconsider this course of action, or there will be consequences. There are always technical bugs during the early phases of new technology, especially AI, and those issues are typically addressed quickly. X treats these matters seriously and acts promptly.
“Let’s be clear: this is not about technical compliance. This is a political war against Elon Musk and free speech—nothing more.
According to The Telegraph, US officials have also said they will ban UK officials from entering the US if the UK blocks X, claiming they have the 'right to up the ante'.
The outlet reported that a state department source said that 'UK officials could face being barred from the US over plans to ban X', while Ofcom staff could also suffer the same fate.
Tyla has reached out to the White House for comment.
Topics: Donald Trump, Keir Starmer, News, Politics, Social Media, Twitter, UK News, US News, Elon Musk
Rhiannon Ingle