Ofcom hails ‘step forward’ as X agrees 24-hour review of terror and hate posts
Ofcom said the move was "particularly important" following the recent spate of "hate-motivated crimes suffered by the Jewish community”
Social media platform X has committed to reviewing reported suspected terrorist and hate content in the UK within an average of 24 hours, Ofcom has said.
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The regulator said on Friday that it had accepted a number of commitments made by X to better protect UK users from illegal terror and hate content.
Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom’s online safety group director, said the regulator will now “monitor closely” the enhanced protections which he described as a “step forward”.
Mr Griffiths said these were “of particular importance in the UK following a number of recent hate motivated crimes suffered by the country’s Jewish community”.
He said: “We have evidence that terrorist content and illegal hate speech is persisting on some of the largest social media sites.
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“We are challenging them to tackle the problem and expect them to take firm action.
“This is of particular importance in the UK following a number of recent hate-motivated crimes suffered by the country’s Jewish community.
“These commitments are a step forward, but there’s a lot more to do. We’re grateful for the support we’ve received from civil society and other expert organisations to scrutinise these platforms, and we’ll continue working with them extensively to drive forward changes for people in the UK.”
He added that the regulator’s investigation into X’s AI chatbot Grok remained ongoing.
While X has committed to reviewing suspected illegal terrorist and hate content within an average of 24 hours, it has also pledged to review at least 85% of this content within a maximum of 48 hours, Ofcom said.
The move follows an LBC investigation which found a banned sabotage manual linked to proscribed terror group Palestine Action still freely available online, exposing a major gap in the Government’s ability to enforce counter-terror laws.
Senior policing and legal figures said authorities lack the powers to force the material offline, while terror watchdog Jonathan Hall KC said Ofcom has no “real actionable” power to remove it under the Online Safety Act.
Other commitments made by the platform, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, include engaging with experts regarding reporting systems for illegal hate.
It has also pledged to withhold access in the UK to accounts reported for posting illegal terrorist content if the company determines they are operated by or on behalf of a terrorist organisation proscribed within the country.
Ofcom said X will submit performance data on a quarterly basis over a 12-month period so the regulator can monitor its progress against its targets.
Danny Stone, chief executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, said he welcomed the action from Ofcom and that it was a “good start”.
He added: “There will be a lot more to do though. X is failing in so many regards to tackle open racism on its platform.
“We know where this online harm leads, and so for the sake and safety of all of us in Britain, I hope Ofcom will hold X to account for what it has promised the regulator it will do.”
Iman Atta, director of anti-Muslim hate monitoring organisation Tell Mama, said: “We are particularly encouraged by the indication that action will be taken against terrorist organisations proscribed in the UK that continue to facilitate or spread hatred and extremism.
“This sends an important message that no platform or body operating in this country is above scrutiny.
“However, while these commitments are meaningful, the test is not what is promised, but what is delivered. Tell Mama will continue to monitor progress and hold all parties to account.”