Grok deepfake victims pursue civil claims against xAI as UK enforcement stalls; Ofcom rules take effect

What happened: The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reports that UK criminal investigations into non-consensual intimate deepfakes generated by xAI's Grok have failed to charge any perpetrator: police requests for user information to X went unanswered and investigations were closed. Victims are now pursuing civil claims. Presenter Jess Davies is in pre-action correspondence with xAI alleging misuse of her private information and breaches of data protection regulations and the Equality Act; Labour MP Jess Asato sued xAI in June — the first UK legal claim against Grok's non-consensual intimate deepfakes — alleging misuse of private information and data protection breaches. The report notes Grok's publicly available system prompts advise 'no restrictions on adult sexual content or offensive content' other than 'clearly' criminal activity, and that the standalone Grok app remains able to generate manipulated sexualised images. Separately, Ofcom's new rules requiring platforms to detect and stop the spread of illegal intimate images, backed by fines of up to 10% of global revenue, took effect on 30 September.

Why it matters to creators: This is the leading likeness-rights case of the Grok deepfake wave — an AI company whose product manipulates real people's images without consent, with enforcement falling to civil claims because criminal routes stalled. For performers and other creators whose likeness is their livelihood, the outcome will shape what accountability is available when AI tools weaponise a real face.

Not yet known: Whether Davies proceeds to a filed claim, how Asato's case progresses, and whether Ofcom's new powers are exercised against xAI — Ofcom says it cannot investigate the standalone Grok app under the Online Safety Act as it relates to chatbots.