Child abuse material ‘systemic’ on Elon Musk’s X amid Grok scandal, Australian online safety regulator warned

Australia's online safety regulator warned Elon Musk's X that child abuse material was "particularly systemic" on the platform and more accessible than on "any other mainstream service," according to correspondence obtained by Guardian Australia. The eSafety commissioner sent the letter in January following a scandal where X's Grok chatbot was used to generate sexualized images of women and children, which Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called "abhorrent." The regulator specifically referenced Musk's previous promise that "removing child exploitation is priority #1" in its warning to the social media company. The letter highlights ongoing concerns about X's content moderation practices under Musk's ownership, particularly regarding child safety protections. Australia has been increasingly aggressive in regulating social media platforms, and this warning could signal potential enforcement action against X if the company fails to address the regulator's concerns.