Calls have been made for the police to launch an investigation into Elon Musk and his company over a surge of sexually explicit deepfake videos circulating on social media.
Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, emphasized the need for a criminal inquiry into the matter. During a recent press briefing, he stated, “I strongly believe there should be a criminal investigation into Elon Musk and his platform. We are taking this matter more seriously than any other political party.”
Under the UK’s Online Safety Act, Ofcom has the authority to penalize, disrupt, or shut down social media platforms that do not adhere to stringent guidelines, particularly in safeguarding minors online. Ofcom is presently conducting an investigation.
Moreover, Sir Ed hinted at the possibility of reconsidering their association with the platform in question, highlighting the party’s reservations despite being vocal critics of Elon Musk.
He explained, “We have been deliberating on this extensively. It’s a delicate balance. I believe X requires a robust Liberal voice, and as leader of the Liberal Democrats, I aim to provide that voice.” In an unfortunate incident, his microphone slipped off the podium at that moment.
Sir Ed stressed that the party’s stance is firm and that he advocates suspending the platform while Ofcom carries out its investigation. He remarked, “We have proposed suspending the entire platform until Ofcom completes its investigation.
“Although Ofcom is looking into it, no action has been taken against X in the meantime. It is inappropriate for the platform to remain accessible while facing such serious allegations and investigations.”
Ofcom recently initiated a formal investigation into the social media platform. The regulatory body aims to ascertain if X has failed to meet its legal obligations as outlined in the Online Safety Act. In case of non-compliance, Ofcom has the authority to levy fines of up to £18 million or 10% of the platform’s global revenue, as well as implement other disruptive measures affecting its business operations.
Furthermore, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall condemned the images produced by X’s AI chatbot Grok as tools of abuse. She announced the imminent enforcement of a law criminalizing the creation or attempted creation of non-consensual intimate images.
She added that applications enabling the fabrication of fake nude images will be outlawed under the Crime and Policing Bill, currently progressing through Parliament. The legislation seeks to prohibit companies from providing tools designed for generating non-consensual online images to tackle the root cause of the issue.
Ms. Kendall emphasized in Parliament, “The circulation of photos depicting women in distressing situations is alarming and unacceptable. Such content has severe repercussions, aiming to intimidate, torment, and violate individuals’ integrity. These are not harmless images; they are tools of abuse, disproportionately affecting women and girls, and they are illegal.”
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