Mumbai, January 11: The Canadian government has officially denied reports suggesting a potential ban on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Evan Solomon, the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, clarified on Sunday that the federal government is not seeking to block the Elon Musk-owned platform despite rising global concerns regarding AI-generated content. Instead, the administration is focusing on legislative reforms to hold individuals and platforms accountable for the creation and distribution of non-consensual deepfake images.

Minister Solomon emphasized that the government’s priority is the protection of citizens, particularly women and young people, from digital exploitation. While X has faced intense scrutiny over its AI chatbot, Grok, and its role in disseminating explicit content, Canada’s approach remains centered on "responsible AI" and criminal law rather than outright prohibition. The clarification comes at a time when several other nations are debating stricter regulatory actions against the platform. Elon Musk’s X Accepts ‘Mistake’, Will Work As per Indian Laws To Purge Obscene Imagery Created by Grok AI, Say Government Sources; Over 600 Accounts Deleted.

Bill C-16 and the Protecting Victims Act

To address the growing crisis of AI-generated abuse, the Canadian government is advancing Bill C-16, also known as the Protecting Victims Act. This legislation aims to amend the Criminal Code of Canada to explicitly include deepfakes under the definition of intimate images. Under the proposed changes, the publication of an intimate image—whether real or AI-generated—without consent would be a criminal offence.

"Deepfake sexual abuse is violence," Solomon stated in a post on X. He added that platforms and AI developers have a fundamental duty to prevent harm. By treating deepfakes as intimate images, the government intends to provide legal recourse for victims and ensure that abusers are held accountable under existing criminal frameworks. This move reflects a broader international trend of modernising legal systems to keep pace with rapid advancements in generative artificial intelligence.

Global Backlash Against X and Grok

The refusal to ban X in Canada stands in contrast to the escalating pressure the platform is facing in other jurisdictions. In the United States, three senators: Ron Wyden, Ed Markey, and Ben Ray Luján recently sent a formal letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. The letter urged the tech giants to "immediately remove" both X and the Grok app from their respective app stores until Elon Musk addresses the generation of illegal content. Elon Musk’s X App Could Be Banned in UK Over ‘Grok’ AI Chatbot Row, Says Report.

Critics argue that Grok, which is integrated into X, has been used to create explicit images of users without their consent. In India and the United Kingdom, regulators have also expressed concerns regarding X’s content moderation practices. While Canada is avoiding a ban for now, the Minister’s statement serves as a reminder that the "duty of care" remains with the developers, and the government will continue to hold platforms accountable through the updated Criminal Code.

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