Jewish Labour peer backs continued government presence on X despite antisemitism and AI scandals
Baroness Anderson: Withdrawing from X would let misinformation win
A Jewish peer has recalled her own horrific experience of facing a torrent of antisemitic hate on X, but has concluded that a boycott of the Elon Musk-owned social media platform would only allow misinformation to go unchallenged.
In the face of calls for the Government to curb its use of the controversial app, Labour frontbencher Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent noted that currently 19.2 million British citizens use X, making it an “appropriate platform to use because I believe in freedom of speech and freedom of expression.”
The former Labour MP, previously known as Ruth Smeeth, spoke in the Lords as the media watchdog Ofcom said it had made “urgent contact” with X, after users appeared to have prompted its built-in AI chatbot Grok to generate photos of undressed people.
A post on the Grok X account said that there have been “isolated cases where users prompted for and received AI images depicting minors in minimal clothing”, and added: “xAI has safeguards, but improvements are ongoing to block such requests entirely.”
Under the Online Safety Act in the UK, social media firms must prevent and remove child sexual abuse material when they become aware of it.
She said: “Some Members of this House will be aware of my own experiences on X and what that did to me.
“I stand here, even with those experiences, and say that I still believe that X is an appropriate platform to use because I believe in freedom of speech and freedom of expression.
“While I do not agree with a great deal of what is written on platforms where there is too much hate and misinformation and, at times, conspiracy theories, it is incredibly important that there is a counter-narrative when people are talking about whether vaccinations are appropriate and whether they should be going to the hospital.
“It is incredibly important that the facts are available not where we wish people would use them, but where they are actually using them.”
But pressing the front bench, Liberal Democrat peer Lord Pack said: “I am sure that the minister has seen the recent reports of X generating on-request sexualised images of people without their consent, including of children, yet the Government repeatedly prioritises the use of X.
“To give just one example, the Home Office’s public social media policy encourages the use of X by promising to read all messages sent to it via that platform, a promise that is not made about any other social media network.
“Is it not the time for the Government to stop prioritising and promoting the use of X ahead of other social media network platforms?”
Lady Anderson said, “I genuinely do not agree that we prioritise the use of X, but 19.2 million British citizens use X.
“It is incredibly important, in an age of misinformation and disinformation, that facts are available on the platforms people are using, as opposed to the platforms we wish people were using, which is why the Government will continue to post organic content on X.”
Liberal Democrat Lord Clement-Jones said: “In the Government’s welcome recently published strategy to reduce violence against women and children, they promise a whole-of-government approach.
“Yet… they are prioritising X as a platform in their communications. Isn’t this the perfect opportunity for the Government to demonstrate that they mean what they say?
“X is publishing sexualised images without consent on its platform, so why are the Government not responding by reducing their dependence on X?”
Lady Anderson said: “Not only are 19.2 million British citizens registered with X, but 10.8 million families use X as their main news source. That is more than any other social platform, which I find genuinely extraordinary.
“We would be doing a disservice by removing government communications from X when that is where people are actually accessing them. We are making sure that facts are available.”
Leading lawyer and independent crossbencher Lord Pannick said: “The minister’s argument in relation to X appears to be that it may be obnoxious, but other people use it, so the Government must too.
“Is it not sometimes appropriate for the Government to take a position, adopt a principle and do what they think is right?”
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