X tells Ofcom it will finally check its moderation inbox

Comms watchdog says Musk’s social media platform will now review reports of illegal hate and terror content within 24 hours… on average

Britain’s media regulator has extracted a set of promises from X over illegal hate speech and terrorist content, suggesting that even “free speech absolutism” eventually meets a compliance department.

Under commitments accepted by Ofcom, X said it will review and assess reports of suspected illegal terrorist and hate content from UK users within an average of 24 hours, with at least 85 percent handled within 48 hours through its dedicated UK reporting channel.

The company also committed to engaging with external experts on how its reporting systems work, following several organizations’ complaints that they were unclear whether reports submitted to X were even being received, let alone acted on.

X also said it would withhold access in the UK to accounts operated by or on behalf of terrorist organizations proscribed in Britain if the accounts are reported for posting illegal terrorist content.

Ofcom said X will now submit quarterly performance data over a 12-month period so the regulator can monitor whether the company is actually sticking to those promises.

“Following intensive engagement carried out by Ofcom’s online safety team, X have committed to implementing stronger protections for UK users, which we will now monitor closely,” said Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom’s Online Safety Group Director.

“We have evidence that terrorist content and illegal hate speech is persisting on some of the largest social media sites. We are challenging them to tackle the problem and expect them to take firm action.”

The regulator launched a compliance investigation in December to examine whether major social media platforms have adequate systems to address illegal hate and terrorist material. Ofcom said evidence gathered alongside organizations including Tech Against Terrorism, Tell MAMA, and the Antisemitism Policy Trust pointed to illegal hate and terror content remaining visible across some of the internet’s largest platforms.

Ofcom said the issue was of “particular concern” following several recent antisemitic incidents and attacks on Jewish sites in Britain, including attacks in Manchester, Golders Green, and recent arson attempts in London.

The watchdog also made clear this is not the end of its scrutiny of X, reminding the platform that Ofcom’s separate investigation including issues related to Grok is ongoing and that it will continue to probe X’s broader illegal content compliance systems. ®