Young Fine Gael (YFG) has announced the immediate suspension of its use of X (formerly Twitter) in response to the platform’s ongoing and severe failures to protect children and Elon Musk’s ownership.
Since Musk’s takeover, X has systematically dismantled key safety features, slashed content-moderation teams, and repeatedly prioritised profit and engagement over the protection and wellbeing of young people.
Most alarmingly, recent reports have revealed that the platform’s Grok AI tool is being used to create sexually explicit images of children – a catastrophic failure that demonstrates the reckless disregard X has shown for child safety. YFG warns that without urgent intervention, X risks becoming a haven for abusers exploiting unregulated AI tools.
On January 9th, following several days of sustained public pressure, X announced that they would limit Grok’s image generation features to paid subscribers only.
YFG President Jamie Malone said: “Having learned of the danger their product poses to children, X have decided that instead of introducing responsible user-protection policies, they will exploit this opportunity to profit from a tool that has already been seen to be incredibly abusive, dangerous, and predatory.”
Reports in the Irish Independent have revealed that, following the exposure of Grok’s ability to generate sexually explicit images of children, the app has surged to the top of the download charts. This is a damning indictment of X’s failure to uphold even the most basic standards of child safety. We expect better from platforms with global reach and influence.”
Caolán Maguire, YFG Vice President and Director of Policy, added: “As someone studying the use of artificial intelligence in medicine and medical research, I see every day how transformative these technologies can be when they are developed with strong ethical and safety frameworks. What we are witnessing on X is the opposite.”
Under Musk’s leadership, X has become a breeding ground for harmful content, misinformation, and exploitation. The platform’s owner has shown contempt for regulatory oversight and dismissed legitimate concerns about user safety as attacks on “free speech”—all while children remain exposed to dangerous content, predatory behaviour, and now AI-generated child sexual abuse material.
“Young people across Ireland deserve platforms that protect them, not ones that expose them to harm. We are calling on every youth organisation to stand with us and demand real safeguards” said Isabelle Danes, YFG Vice President and Director of Communication
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has already raised serious concerns with EU authorities about Grok’s safety failures. YFG refuses to remain on a platform that enables the exploitation and abuse of children through inadequately regulated technology.
YFG’s boycott will remain in place until X and its leadership demonstrate a genuine commitment to user safety. The organisation is calling on all youth organisations across Ireland to join this boycott and send a very clear message: we will not legitimise a platform that endangers children.
If you have encountered illegal content online or believe you may have been a victim of online exploitation, you can report it confidentially at https://hotline.ie/, or contact your local Garda station or the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111.