Sir Keir Starmer has been likened to a “tinpot Putin” over his plans to implement an outright ban on Elon Musk’s X platform.

Reacting to the ban on GB News, presenter Tom Harwood launched a furious tirade on the Prime Minister’s consideration, declaring a social media platform “cannot be responsible” for the actions of certain users.

Following reports X’s AI system Grok was being used to create sexualised images of children, Ofcom has launched a formal investigation.

Sir Keir has also threatened an outright ban on X in the UK following the controversy, branding it “unlawful”.

Expressing his outrage at the possible ban, Tom told GB News viewers: “How can the Government sit there with a straight face and say, as Keir Starmer so often does, we’ve supported free speech in this country for a long time, we’ve backed free speech, and then seriously contemplates banning X, removing from the internet?

“Pretending to be some tinpot Vladimir Putin or XI Jinping, removing Brits access to one of the most popular websites in the world. I mean, really, what on earth is going on?”

Offering her take on the plans, co-host Nana Akua said: “Well, you know what it is, don’t you? Keir Starmer is not Elon Musk’s best fan, and he doesn’t really like the fact I think a lot of them there, especially on the left, don’t particularly like the reach that X has and the voice that it has.

“So this would be a way of if they could ban it by using something, that is, ‘I think the AI tool is abhorrent, you shouldn’t be able to do that’. They’re going to use that as the thing that they’re going to justify banning it.”

Nana then suggested: “Hey look, why don’t they do what other countries have done, which is ban the Grok app rather than banning entire X? I don’t understand how you go from that to that, I think it’s a massive overreach.”

Arguing any social media platform “cannot be responsible” for the actions of its users, Tom said: “I think that there is a significant thing here, which is that when you’re a platform, and I thought that this was an understood sort of arrangement, ever since the advent of the internet, that a platform that has user generated content, whether that’s Twitter or Facebook or Reddit or any sort of forum, the platform cannot be responsible if a user chooses to do something illegal.

“That should be on the user. Here’s the crucial point, we used to have an understanding across the Western world that a platform is not responsible for the content that the users put on it, because if it were, you wouldn’t be able to have any social media at all.”

He continued: “How could you vet every single post, whether it’s copyrighted material or whatever? They should do their best to take down that sort of stuff, but my goodness me, if we’re going to put the platform as liable for malicious users using AI to do malicious things, if suddenly that’s the platform’s fault, that undoes the entire understanding of what the internet is.”

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Nana disagreed with Tom’s argument, adding: ” I think the platform does have a level of responsibility, though, a level of care to its other users. So I think that I would do what Malaysia, Indonesia have done.

“And if he doesn’t change Grok, then I would ban that, but I would not ban X. I think that’s an overreach and that’s where I would leave it.”

Sir Keir said last week he backed Ofcom to take action against X and that he had asked for “all options to be on the table”.

Mr Musk, the owner of X, has accused the Government of being “fascist” and trying to curb free speech.

In a statement, a spokesman for Ofcom said: “Reports of Grok being used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X have been deeply concerning.

“Platforms must protect people in the UK from content that’s illegal in the UK, and we won’t hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there’s a risk of harm to children.

“We’ll progress this investigation as a matter of the highest priority, while ensuring we follow due process.

“As the UK’s independent online safety enforcement agency, it’s important we make sure our investigations are legally robust and fairly decided.”

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