South Oxfordshire councillors discuss use of X and Grok
The council leader says it'll undertake a full review of the site this month
South Oxfordshire’s council leaders have criticised the use of X and its AI-chatbot Grok to generate non-consensual images, stating that it does “not align with the council’s values”.
Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether the use of Grok to create and shared sexualised images of children was in breach of UK law.
The leader of South Oxfordshire District Council Maggie Filipova-Rivers said that the council would undertake a full review of the site this month.
She said: “Recent developments in X and Grok and subsequent high profile unacceptable usage of these platforms do not align with the council’s values – and we intend to review all our channels in the coming weeks to ensure they both support our ability to reach our audiences, whilst matching our commitment to safeguarding all our residents, including women and children.”
Oxfordshire County Council is also undertaking a review into the use of the site, which it says is due to conclude shortly.
Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council Bethia Thomas said: “Whilst we remain on X for the practical reasons of responding to genuine queries and for use in emergency communications, we stopped routinely posting on it quite some time ago, and are prepared to stop using it entirely if it does not impact communication to our residents in emergencies.
“I deplore the improper use of X and Grok, which go against the principles of the council, treating people fairly, with respect and as equals.”
A spokesperson for South and Vale said that the councils get most of their reach from Facebook, Instagram and Nextdoor, but that they maintain a presence on X for emergencies or urgent messages.
They added: “Changes to the platform in recent years have meant our ability to reach residents has declined significantly to the extent that we stopped using it to post routine service updates some time ago”.
Cherwell District Council confirmed it would no longer post on X.
Oxford City Council confirmed that they would retain their account to “avoid impersonation and to disperse information in emergencies.”
A spokesperson said: “We continually review our use of social media platforms.
“Recent consultations showed Oxford residents prefer to use Facebook and Instagram, so we have been reducing our use of X for several years.”
The city council has not posted on X since December 19, with the most recent posts being flooding updates.
Oxfordshire MPs Layla Moran, Freddie van Mierlo and Charlie Maynard have confirmed that they will no longer post on X.
West Oxfordshire District Council was contacted for comment.