X Agrees to Faster UK Reviews of Illegal Hate Content

X has agreed to step up protections for users in the United Kingdom by speeding up reviews of suspected illegal hate speech and terrorist content, Britain’s media regulator Ofcom said on Friday, May 15. The commitments follow months of regulatory pressure and come as the company faces broader questions about how it moderates content on the platform.

Ofcom said X will aim to assess reports of suspected illegal hate and terrorism-related posts within 24 hours on average, and to assess at least 85% of such reports within 48 hours. The regulator said the agreement is intended to reduce the time illegal content remains available to users.

Under the terms described by Ofcom, X will also restrict access in Britain to accounts operated by or on behalf of organisations banned under UK terrorism laws. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to the report.

Ofcom to receive quarterly data and expert review

Ofcom said X will submit quarterly performance data to the regulator over the next year, a step aimed at increasing transparency around how the company handles reports of illegal content. The regulator said it will use the information to track whether the commitments are being met.

Ofcom also said X will engage external experts to improve its reporting systems after civil society groups raised concerns that flagged content was not always clearly received or acted on. The regulator said the changes are intended to make it easier for users to report potentially illegal content and to ensure reports are handled consistently.

Investigation into X systems and Grok remains open

The commitments come as X faces heightened scrutiny from regulators in other jurisdictions. Ofcom said regulators in the European Union, Australia and Singapore have also pressed the platform over illegal or militant content.

Ofcom said its own investigation into X is ongoing, including a review of the platform’s systems for tackling illegal content and issues related to its AI tool Grok. The regulator has previously said it has evidence that terrorist content and illegal hate speech persists on some large social media sites.

Ofcom linked the issue to recent hate-motivated crimes in the UK affecting the country’s Jewish community, and said reducing the spread of illegal hate and terrorist material online is a priority. Further updates are expected as Ofcom’s investigation continues and as the regulator begins receiving quarterly data from X.