X has announced new measures aimed at minimizing "hate and terror content" in the UK, following scrutiny from the regulator Ofcom. The company plans to expedite its review process for reported offending content, committing to evaluate such posts within 24 hours, and to address 85 percent of hate-related content within a maximum of 48 hours. This initiative comes amidst concerns over a reported 50 percent increase in hate speech since the acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk, which was subsequently rebranded as X.
Ofcom's Online Safety Group Director, Oliver Griffiths, emphasized the persistence of terrorist and hate speech on major social media platforms, challenging these companies to take decisive action. The urgency of these measures is highlighted by a rise in hate-motivated crimes affecting the Jewish community in the UK. In addition to swift content reviews, X intends to consult with experts on hate and terror issues and will ban accounts that violate regulations.
Ofcom plans to monitor X's compliance with these commitments on a quarterly basis over the upcoming year. Meanwhile, the regulator continues its investigation into Grok AI, operated by Musk, for generating illegal content. In a separate case, Ofcom recently imposed a fine of nearly $700,000 on 4chan for violations of the Online Safety Act.