“The Free Speech Union warns that the United Kingdom's threat to block X entirely over Grok AI failures shows how online safety regulation rapidly escalates from addressing illegal content to silencing entire platforms."
“UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed this week that all options are on the table, including blocking X under the Online Safety Act, after Grok AI was used to create child sexual abuse material. Indonesia became the first country to actually block Grok yesterday, while Australia's Prime Minister joined international criticism.
"We're watching regulatory mirroring in real time. The UK threatens, Indonesia blocks, Australia criticises. Each action makes the next more acceptable," says Jillaine Heather, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union.
"The UK government claims this is about protecting children. If that were true, the response would be prosecuting those creating and distributing child abuse material and holding platforms liable for hosting it. Instead, the government is threatening to block an entire platform used by 20 million British citizens for lawful speech.
"This material exists across multiple platforms and AI tools. Yet X is the platform facing outright ban threats. When governments respond to platform non-compliance by threatening to shut down entire communication channels, they're establishing a precedent about government power over speech, not child safety.
"Today it's X for failing to police Grok. Tomorrow it's any platform a government decides is insufficiently compliant. Australia already banned everyone under 16 from social media last month. Not from illegal content. From platforms entirely. Safety rhetoric, expanded control. “The Free Speech Union issues a strong warning to the New Zealand Government: do not follow this path.
“Attempts to use child safety as a pretext to ban, restrict, or deplatform X would represent a serious breach of free expression and would be met with determined resistance. If the New Zealand Government joins this international suppression effort, it will have a fight on its hands,” Heather says.
“Free speech is not a privilege granted by governments when it suits them. It is a fundamental right and it will be defended.”