The British government is reportedly in discussions with Australia and Canada, two allied nations, about a potential ban on Elon Musk’s X social media platform.
Recently, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer mentioned that “all options” were being considered regarding the platform’s Grok AI, which can create “deepfake” nude images of women and children, including a possible prohibition of X in the UK.
The newly implemented Online Safety Act, which was enacted by the prior Conservative administration, empowers Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, to impose fines on social media companies of up to 10% of their global revenue, and in extreme scenarios, to ban them outright.
Seeking support and hoping to avoid antagonizing President Donald Trump alone, Downing Street has engaged in talks with Australian and Canadian officials to formulate a unified approach to the tech platforms, as reported by a news outlet.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, advocating for stricter censorship measures following last month’s shooting incident in Bondi Beach, expressed his disapproval of how Grok is being used to facilitate access to its image creation capabilities. He stated, “It’s simply abhorrent. Social media needs to show greater responsibility. People, both in Australia and globally, deserve better.”
On the other hand, Toronto MP Evan Solomon, the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation in Mark Caney’s government, denied claims that Canada is contemplating a ban on X.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk, who has consistently voiced his concerns about the UK’s increasing censorship, labeled Starmer’s government as “fascist” and implied that it is merely looking for “an excuse to censor” X.
Censorship appears to be on the rise in the UK. According to reports, the country arrests around 30 individuals daily for comments made on social media, resulting in over 12,000 arrests in a single year. Offenses may include sharing “grossly offensive” messages or distributing “obscene, pornographic, or threatening” content.
A potential ban on X could relieve some pressure from the troubled Labor government, which has faced ongoing scrutiny from Musk over topics such as free speech, immigration, and the protection of vulnerable young girls from crimes like gang exploitation.
However, taking action against a major U.S. company, especially one close to President Trump, could provoke further tensions with the White House, which prioritizes opposition to censorship in Europe as part of its foreign policy.
In fact, just last month, the Trump administration sanctioned several Europeans, including two Brits, for their roles in the global censorship scene.
One of these individuals is Imran Ahmed, the head of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), an organization closely connected to Starmer’s chief of staff. The administration is seeking his deportation from the U.S. due to allegations of censoring conservative American news outlets.
While the CCDH maintains ties with the Labor government, the White House has yet to agree on sanctions against UK officials.
That could change if Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna proceeds with her proposal to impose sanctions on Prime Minister Starmer and the UK as a whole if X is banned in the country.
“There are always technical glitches in new technology, especially AI, but they usually get fixed swiftly.
