By Dan Milmo,Amelia Gentleman
Publication Date: 2026-01-09 06:00:00
The flood of images of partially clothed women – undressed by the Grok AI tool – on Elon Musk’s X has raised further questions about the technology’s regulation. Is it legal to produce these images without the subject’s consent? Should they be removed from X?
In the UK alone there is some doubt about the answers to these questions. Social media regulation is a nascent area, not to mention attempts to control the use of artificial intelligence. There are laws to address the problem, such as the Online Safety Act, but the government has not yet introduced additional measures, such as banning nudity apps.
Is it illegal to post pictures of partially clothed people without their permission?
Under the Sexual Offenses Act in England and Wales, it is a criminal offense to share intimate images of someone without their consent, which includes images created by AI. The law explains what constitutes an intimate image, including the performance of a “sexual act” and the performance of a “thing reasonably . . .”