Social media platform X has agreed to implement quicker measures for reviewing reports of suspected illegal hate and terrorist content within the United Kingdom, according to commitments made to the UK's communications regulator, Ofcom. The company, owned by Elon Musk, stated that these new protocols will specifically apply to content identified and flagged through its dedicated illegal content reporting tool.
Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom's online safety director, characterized these commitments as a "step forward." He emphasized their particular significance in light of recent religiously motivated crimes that have targeted Jewish communities in the UK. Ofcom also confirmed that a separate investigation into X's artificial intelligence tool, Grok, remains ongoing. This investigation was initiated due to concerns that Grok might have been used to generate inappropriate sexualized images.
The announcement comes in the wake of Ofcom's launch of a compliance program in December. This program aims to evaluate whether the largest social media companies possess adequate systems and processes for managing reports of illegal hate and terror material. Griffiths indicated that the regulator has gathered evidence suggesting that terrorist content and illegal hate speech are persistently present on some of the most prominent social media sites. He added that Ofcom is actively challenging these platforms to address the issue more effectively and implement more robust actions.
Under the new agreement, X is required to submit performance data to Ofcom on a quarterly basis for a period of one year. This data will enable the regulator to monitor X's adherence to the agreed-upon targets. While X has set an average target of less than 24 hours for reviewing flagged content, it has also committed to assessing at least 85% of all reports within a 48-hour timeframe. Ofcom has outlined two additional commitments from X designed to enhance the protection of UK users from illegal hate and terror content.
The first of these commitments involves X engaging with relevant experts to refine its reporting systems for such content. This measure was prompted by concerns raised by several organizations that had reported multiple instances of suspected illegal hate and terrorist content to X. These organizations expressed uncertainty regarding whether their reports were received or acted upon by the platform. X's second commitment entails restricting UK access to accounts that are reported for posting illegal terrorist content, provided that X determines these accounts are operated by or on behalf of a terrorist organization proscribed in the UK.
Danny Stone, chief executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, described the developments as a "good start" but stressed that further action is necessary. He stated that X is currently failing in numerous aspects to effectively combat overt racism on its platform. Stone expressed hope that Ofcom will hold X accountable for its promises to the regulator, citing the known consequences of online harm for public safety.
The UK has recently experienced a series of attacks targeting Jewish communities. Notable incidents include the attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester in October 2025, an incident in Golders Green in April, and recent arson attempts on Jewish sites in London. Iman Atta, director of Tell Mama, a national project that documents anti-Muslim incidents in the UK, welcomed the updated targets, viewing them as an indication of a more accountable approach. She specifically noted the commitment to take action against accounts linked to proscribed terrorist organizations as particularly encouraging. Atta remarked that this sends a significant message that no platform operating in the country is exempt from scrutiny, emphasizing that the ultimate test lies in delivery rather than promises.
