Ottawa Denies Media Reports That It’s Considering Banning X

The minister responsible for Canada’s artificial intelligence (AI) regulation says Ottawa is not looking to ban social media platform X.

The statement comes amid reports that the UK government has rallied international support to challenge the Elon Musk-owned site over recent reports that its AI tool, Grok, has been used to generate and post sexually explicit images on the site, including some that appear to depict minors.

“Contrary to media reports, Canada is not considering a ban of X,” said Evan Solomon, minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation, on X on Jan. 11.

Solomon’s comment followed reports from media outlets, such as The Telegraph, a British daily broadsheet newspaper, that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had held talks with like-minded nations, including Canada and Australia, to take on Musk’s X. The outlet reported on Jan. 10 that Downing Street was seeking a coordinated response from these countries and that Canada and Australia were said to share Starmer’s concerns about the “deepfake” images.

Another British television and radio news channel, GB News, reported on Jan. 11 that Starmer was in talks with Canada and Australia about a potential ban on X.

Solomon’s X post made no mention of the meeting reported by both media outlets, though his comment included a previous statement posted on the platform on Jan. 8, in which he said that “deepfake sexual abuse is violence” and that “platforms and AI developers have a duty to prevent this harm.”

The Jan. 8 statement added that the federal government has already introduced legislation to “keep Canadians safe” and to “[hold] abusers accountable.”

“Our government is continuing to advance responsible AI, including introducing Bill C-16, the Protecting Victims Act, to amend the Criminal Code to include deepfakes as intimate images for the offence of publication of an intimate image without consent,” the minister said.

‘Action Against Illegal Content’

Governments and regulators from Europe to Asia have condemned, and some have opened inquiries into, the sexually explicit content generated by chatbot Grok on X, putting pressure on the platform to show what actions it is taking to prevent and remove illegal content. Grok is a generative AI chatbot developed by xAI, an AI company launched by Musk in 2023.

Grok informed X users on Jan. 9 that image generation and editing features were now restricted only to paying subscribers. The statement came after Grok said on Jan. 2 that it was addressing safeguard lapses following isolated cases in which it produced sexualized outputs, including depictions of minors in minimal clothing.

Musk also addressed the issue of generating illegal material in a Jan. 3 post on X, saying, “Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.”

On Jan. 4, X’s Safety unit quoted Musk’s post, stating, “We take action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary.”

The account reiterated Musk’s position that “anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content.” It then directed users to links detailing X’s rules and enforcement options.

Potential Ban, Musk’s Response

Authorities in the UK, the European Union, and several other countries, including some from Asia, did not respond well to the measures implemented by Musk, X, and Grok.

In an exclusive interview with Greatest Hits Radio on Jan. 8, UK Prime Minister Starmer said he has asked for “all options to be on the table,” including a boycott of X. “It’s disgusting, and it’s not to be tolerated,” Starmer told the host.

Liz Kendall, the British science and technology secretary, said on Jan. 9 that she expected the country’s media regulator Ofcom to take action over X “in days, not weeks.” She added that it is “an insult and totally unacceptable” that the Grok editing features can still be provided if X users are willing to pay for it.

“I would remind xAI that the Online Safety Act includes the power to block services from being accessed in the UK, if they refuse to comply with UK law. If Ofcom decide to use those powers they will have our full support,” she said in a statement.

Ofcom stated on social media on Jan. 5 that it had made “urgent contact” with X and Musk’s AI company xAI to “understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK.”

“Based on their response we will undertake a swift assessment to determine whether there are potential compliance issues that warrant investigation,” the statement read.

Responding to a question from an X user on Jan. 9 asking why the UK government is not scrutinizing AI platforms ChatGPT and Gemini, Musk replied, “They want any excuse for censorship.”

EU, Asia

Meanwhile, the European Commission has ordered X to retain all internal documents and data relating to Grok for longer than earlier requested while the bloc ensures compliance with its rules, spokesperson Thomas Regnier confirmed at a press briefing on Jan. 8.

Regnier said the move is an extension of the retention order the commission sent to X last year related to “algorithms and recommended systems on the dissemination of illegal content.” He told reporters that the order will be extended to the end of 2026.

As well, countries including Germany, France, and Italy have indicated potential regulatory action against X over the AI-generated sexualized images.

In Asia, Indonesia on Jan. 10 became the first country to temporarily block access to Grok. The Malaysian government followed suit the next day.

The Epoch Times received what appears to be an automated reply from xAI on Jan. 11 in response to a request for comment to the company.

Solomon’s office, asked if Canada would take an approach similar to that of other countries, referred The Epoch Times to the minister’s Jan. 8 and Jan. 11 statements on X.

“I’ll point you to our statements over the last couple days and share that we will have more to say shortly,” Solomon’s press secretary Ofia Ouslis said in an email.

Victoria Friedman and Reuters contributed to this report.