Hitchin MP welcomes climbdown by X over Grok image‑generation

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP

FRIDAY 16th JANUARY 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Alistair Strathern, MP for the Hitchin constituency, today welcomed the decision by X (formerly Twitter) to regulate more strictly its controversial Grok image‑generation tools, after raising the issue in Parliament and challenging Ofcom to act.

Strathern was the first MP to raise the issue directly with Minsters in Home Office Questions once Parliament returned in January, and has been pushing the Government and Ofcom to take whatever action is needed to ensure X changed course and backed down.  

The change comes after widespread concern that Grok’s AI image‑generation and editing features had been used to create harmful, sexualised, and non‑consensual deepfake images — including images involving children.

UK authorities, including Ofcom, had been pressing the company to take urgent action amid clear concerns they were violating the Online Safety Act.

While X has now restricted the scope of its image‑generation functions through its platform, concerns remain that loopholes still exist through standalone applications or alternative interfaces.

Strathern has been a long-term campaigner on online safety, meeting with Smartphone Free Childhood, speaking regularly on the issue in Parliament and being a champion for the Online Safety Act.

Alistair Strathern said:

“This is a welcome, long‑overdue step. The public should never have been exposed to an AI tool capable of producing such dangerous and exploitative content.

“X’s decision on Grok shows that sustained scrutiny and political pressure can deliver real‑world online safety.

“This not the end of the matter. We must close every possible route through which illegal or abusive AI‑generated imagery could be created.

“I will continue working with colleagues in Parliament to ensure platforms meet their obligations under the Online Safety Act and that regulators have the tools they need to act quickly.”