UK Regulator Says X to Crack Down on Hate Content

Elon Musk’s social media platform X has pledged to crack down on hate and terrorist content in Britain, the country’s media regulator announced Friday. Ofcom stated that X’s public commitments include restricting access in the U.K. to accounts operated by or on behalf of terrorist groups that the country has banned [1].

Key takeaways

• X promised to review suspected illegal terrorist and hate content within 24 hours on average [1].
• The platform aims to assess 85% of flagged material within 48 hours of a user report [1].
• Ofcom is investigating whether X’s AI chatbot Grok failed to protect users from illegal content [1].
• French prosecutors have sought charges against Musk and X, including denial of crimes against humanity [1].

Specific targets and reporting timelines

In addition to restricting access to accounts linked to banned groups, X agreed to specific performance metrics regarding content moderation. The platform promised to review suspected illegal terrorist and hate content within 24 hours on average and to assess 85% of such material no more than 48 hours after users flag it [1]. These measures come in response to concerns from civil society groups that X failed to follow up after illegal content was reported by users [1].

To ensure compliance, X will engage with experts to improve its reporting systems and submit quarterly performance data over a 12-month period. This data will allow Ofcom to compare the platform’s performance against its new targets [1]. A spokesperson for X in the U.K. did not respond to a request for comment regarding the regulator’s announcement [1].

Rising scrutiny and community safety

Ofcom noted that there is evidence terrorist content and illegal hate speech is "persisting" on social media sites, and it expects tech companies to take "firm action" [1]. Oliver Griffiths, director of Ofcom's online safety group, highlighted the importance of these measures following a number of recent hate-motivated crimes suffered by the country’s Jewish community [1]. Britain’s Jewish community, which numbers about 300,000 people, has reportedly faced growing attacks online and in the streets, including arson attacks and a double stabbing [1].

The announcement arrives amid intensifying global scrutiny of X and its artificial intelligence tools. Ofcom launched an investigation into whether Grok, Musk’s AI chatbot, failed to protect users from illegal content after the tool generated nonconsensual deepfake images [1]. This controversy also prompted European Union regulators to target X over its handling of illegal content, while French prosecutors sought charges last week against Musk and X, including denial of crimes against humanity [1].

Why it matters