Emma Pickering, Head of Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment at Refuge, said:
“AI-generated image abuse is escalating at an unprecedented rate, demanding urgent action from tech platforms to protect women and girls from this very real harm. Following a series of shocking reports that Grok has been weaponised by perpetrators to generate misogynistic and violent content at the expense of women, the recent decision to restrict access to paying subscribers is not only inadequate – it represents the monetisation of abuse.
“While limiting AI image generation to paid users may marginally reduce volume and improve traceability, the abuse has not been stopped. It has simply been placed behind a paywall, allowing X to profit from harm. This response comes far too late, after a disturbing number of images have already been created and circulated. Traceability offers little comfort when conviction rates for intimate image abuse remain woefully low.
“We must be clear: at the root of the surge in AI-generated image abuse are real perpetrators, driven by entrenched misogyny. Despite the publication of Ofcom’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) guidance last year, these measures are not legally binding, and this week’s reports prove that when tech companies are left to police themselves, women and girls pay the price.
“If platforms allow abuse to persist – or worse, profit from it – the Government must intervene. Only last month, the Government published its VAWG Strategy, titled Freedom from Violence and Abuse, setting out its plans to halve violence against women and girls by 2034. That ambition cannot be met unless it effectively addresses technology-facilitated abuse, which, as recent reports have demonstrated, is an extremely pervasive and dangerous form of VAWG. Refuge is calling on the Government to take urgent action to hold Grok and other tech companies that fail to tackle online abuse to account through stronger regulations and meaningful consequences. If left unchecked, women and girls’ safety will remain at stake.”
If you have been affected by intimate image abuse, including AI-generated images, you are not alone. There are some things you can do:
- If you are in an emergency, please dial 999
- Report the post and account to X.
- Contact the Revenge Porn Helpline
- Contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline
- You have the option to report to the police
- Consider legal (civil) action
If you are worried someone might be monitoring your devices, please take action from a safe device. Learn more about keeping your technology safe here.
