X agrees to Ofcom crackdown on illegal hate and terror content in the UK
British online safety watchdog Ofcom has accepted new pledges from X to withhold access to accounts linked to terror groups, though the regulator noted that terrorist content and illegal hate speech persist across major platforms.
British online safety regulator Ofcom has accepted new commitments from X aimed at better protecting UK users from illegal hate and terror content. Under the agreement announced today, the social media platform has pledged to withhold access in the UK to accounts determined to be operated by UK terror groups. The company also committed to assessing at least 85 per cent of reported terror and hate speech content within a maximum of 48 hours.
X has further agreed to collaborate with experts on reporting systems for illegal hate and terror content. To demonstrate compliance, the platform will submit quarterly performance data to Ofcom over the next 12 months. These measures form part of a broader compliance probe launched by the regulator in December to examine whether social media platforms have appropriate systems in place to combat the spread of illegal material.
Ofcom’s online safety director, Oliver Griffiths, described the commitments as a step forward but emphasised that significant work remains. “We have evidence that terrorist content and illegal hate speech is persisting on some of the largest social media sites,” Griffiths said. “We are challenging them to tackle the problem and expect them to take firm action.”
While the commitments provide a basis for Ofcom to impose fines if X fails to uphold them, the regulator did not find X liable for current non-compliance with UK online safety rules. The agreement also leaves certain operational details vague, with no mention of whether reports will be assessed by automated systems or human moderators, or if the platform will proactively seek out illegal content rather than relying on user reports.
A separate investigation into how X’s chatbot, Grok, handles illegal content remains open and ongoing. This follows reports that the tool was used to digitally undress people without consent. Meanwhile, concerns have been raised regarding the size of X’s safety team, with observations suggesting the group is currently understaffed as the platform navigates these new regulatory expectations.
