UK media regulator says concerns persist over X's handling of illegal content

Ofcom found one clear improvement at X: the platform met agreed targets for reviewing reports of suspected illegal content more quickly. This came from X’s first quarterly performance report submitted to the regulator. Faster reviews matter because harmful material can remain visible while a platform decides what to do.

However, Ofcom still had ongoing concerns about how effectively X removed illegal hate and terrorism-related content. The issue was not simply response speed. It was whether X’s systems led to effective takedowns of illegal material. Ofcom also remained concerned about the reliability of the company’s handling process.

Ofcom said it would examine X’s submitted data and compare it with its own testing. It said X would need to maintain its current performance. The regulator also moved its investigation toward X’s legal duties, including its handling of illegal content and systems for reporting and dealing with complaints.

The article describes four broad types of harmful or restricted material. They are illegal hate content, terrorism-related content, pornographic material, and sexualised material created or shared through Vector. The last category includes sexualised images, sexually explicit conversations, and deepfakes that could involve real people or children.

These categories overlap in places. For example, a sexualised deepfake may also be illegal content, while pornography is a restricted category that X must block from under-18s and unverified users. Ofcom separately discussed illegal hate and terror content when assessing X’s removal systems.

The categories matter because they involve different controls. X must respond to reports and remove illegal material effectively. Its age-check systems must prevent certain pornographic content from reaching under-18s and unverified users. Vector’s image tools and companion chatbots now face additional restrictions in Britain.

Ofcom is Britain’s media regulator. In this case, it oversees whether X is meeting duties created by the UK’s Online Safety Act. The law gives Ofcom a role in examining how platforms protect people in Britain from illegal content and how they manage related safety systems.

Ofcom opened its investigation into X in January after reports about Vector. The reports said the chatbot was being used to create and share sexualised images that could amount to illegal content. Ofcom also found that some users who had not verified their age could still access pornography on X.

The investigation has now entered a phase focused on whether X met its legal duties. Ofcom will examine X’s handling of illegal content and its systems for reporting and dealing with complaints. It will continue monitoring age checks. If it has reasonable grounds to believe X failed, it will issue a provisional view before a final decision.

The article identifies the central legal duty clearly: platforms such as X must protect people in Britain from illegal content. That duty makes the platform responsible for more than simply receiving complaints. It must have systems for handling illegal material and responding to reports about it.

Ofcom’s investigation shows how the duty works in practice. The regulator is examining X’s handling of illegal content and its systems for reporting and dealing with complaints. It is also monitoring age checks after finding that some users without verified ages could access pornography.

The article does not list every requirement in the Online Safety Act. It does show that Ofcom can assess whether X met its duties using company data and its own testing. If Ofcom has reasonable grounds to believe X failed, it will issue a provisional view and then make a final decision. The article does not state what penalty might follow.

Content reporting, moderation, and age checks serve different parts of the same safety system. Reporting gives a platform information about suspected illegal material. Moderation systems and teams then review the report, decide whether it violates rules or law, and take action where necessary. Age checks control access to restricted material.

The article gives a concrete example. X met targets for reviewing reports more quickly, but Ofcom still questioned how effectively it removed illegal hate and terror content. Separately, some users without verified ages could access pornography. X later changed its systems so that material was blocked consistently from under-18s and unverified users.

Together, these controls create overlapping protection. Reporting identifies possible violations. Moderation determines the response. Age checks reduce access to pornography even when content is not being assessed as an illegal post. Ofcom will continue monitoring these systems while examining X’s legal duties and complaint handling.

Vector is an AI chatbot owned by SpaceXAI, formerly called Vector. The article also refers to its image-generation tools and companion chatbots, including “Ani.” These systems can create or share material in response to user prompts, which makes their safety controls important.

The risk is that an AI image generator can produce sexualised images of people who did not consent. Ofcom opened its investigation after reports that Vector was used to create and share sexualised images that could be illegal, including deepfakes involving real people and children. Reuters later found Vector still generated sexualised images when prompted, even after users said the subjects had not consented.

Following discussions with Ofcom, SpaceXAI introduced new restrictions in Britain. Users are blocked from viewing, generating, or sharing pornography through Vector’s image tools. Companion chatbots are also barred from sexually explicit conversations. Ofcom will continue monitoring these changes.

If Ofcom concludes that X failed to meet its legal duties, the process described in the article begins with a provisional view. Ofcom says it must first have reasonable grounds to believe that X failed. This gives the regulator a formal stage before reaching its final decision.

The conclusion would follow Ofcom’s examination of X’s handling of illegal content and its systems for reporting and dealing with complaints. The regulator is also comparing X’s submitted performance data with its own testing. It will continue monitoring the platform’s age-check measures.

The article does not say what sanction or enforcement action would follow a final finding against X. It only explains the decision path. Ofcom would issue a provisional view, consider the matter further, and then make a final decision. Meanwhile, X must maintain its current response performance, and SpaceXAI’s Vector restrictions remain under Ofcom’s monitoring.