RE: https://telescoper.blog/2026/01/19/barry-wards-letter-about-grok-ai/
Translation for Americans: a member of the Irish parliament (the Dail) who happens to be a barrister (an attorney specialising in advocacy in front of a judge, including criminal prosecution/defense) has formally written to the head of the Irish cybercrime unit setting out applicable charges against X/Grok and sternly requesting formal prosecution of that company on child pornography/trafficking charges.
@cstross
f Musk in every and anyway possible, please
@cstross The charge for possession of child pornography focuses on the storage of generated images, but I think it would also be valuable for law enforcement to look into the training data for Grok to determine if it contains any non-generated child pornography. How exactly did the model learn how to generate this?
@cstross Reminder to the #republican party and any of its coalition: there aren’t special rules for distributing CSAM if your name is Elon #musk and you use a computer program to propagate the CSAM. You can argue the technicals in court like everyone else would have to.
I requested my Attorney General to investigate and prosecute.
I also left a 'tip' with state police agency.
Sounds like a long shot to me. There is no victim here. Yes, many understandably find it to be upsetting and yes, it can be against platform policies. But I don't see how there is a crime here.
A platform doesn't need to adhere to a specific country's law, only to the law of the country of registration. Look away, block it from your feed is my advice.
@VBerndsen Ireland is X's twitter of incorporation (in the EU). They're bound by irish law. Also they're bound to obey the laws of every country where they operate, with respect to those operations. Musk is a criminal.
@VBerndsen @cstross a company that is violating a country's laws may be able to avoid consequences of a legal verdict against them, but they most definitely can be prevented from doing business in that country.
@oddhack @cstross That's logical and true. I don't think that's the case either. AI images and video can be upsetting, but there is no legal precedent anywhere that they can be considered real material. What should be done imo is that platform policies are adhered to and that all AI generated content must always be marked as such. That last thing should be local law everywhere.
@VBerndsen @oddhack Actually, generative CSAM is very clearly illegal here in the UK (which is not Ireland) and I believe in Ireland too. Art depicting minors in sexual poses is illegal.
I think you're generalizing globally from a hyper-local expectation of US-style first amendment "protected speech", which is very much not the norm internationally.
@VBerndsen @oddhack Start reading here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_pornography_laws_in_the_United_Kingdom
Make sure you get to the bit about "pseudo-photographs" covered by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_Justice_and_Public_Order_Act_1994 —specifically part VII bans simulated child pornography, possession of which is a strict liability offense (there's no requirement for the prosecution to prove intent—someone throws a print-out on your lawn, bang: you're guilty).
@cstross as I understand it, part of what makes this letter stands out is the background. Ireland is highly favourable to various multinationals (including X)
glad to hear it, would like to see more of this!!!!!
@cstross Has @davidallengreen seen this? Curious to know his thoughts
If anyone wants more confirmation other than PasteBin, here's the Irish Independent's article on this, from yesterday.
The Independent has been covering this quite a lot over recent days, and Barry Ward is not the only TD to speak up about this. Here's Niamh Smyth from the day before.
Here's a Gardai rep speaking to an Oirechtas committee on the 14th.
@cstross And since (for tax reason) most Big Tech moved their EU or even EMEA business to Ireland - it could mean that Elon would have to seize operations in the EU.
@cstross Also; member of the governing party. So this is more like a Republican senator than a Democrat.
@cstross Only, y'know, Fine Gael so an *evil* Republican senator. One of your Mitch McConnell types.
@markdennehy @cstross who are these non-evil Republican senators you imply the existence of?
@oddhack @markdennehy There are evil Republican senators and extra-evil (with Damien the Antichrist on top) Republican senators. This one is merely Fine Gael, so in US terms, a middle-of-the-road Democrat.
@cstross @oddhack the idea of "merely" being adjacent to "fine gael" is a bit... hard to watch. This is Fine Gael, aka the blueshirts, founded out of admiration for Mussolini after all.
The local political glossary goes: Fianna Fail destroyed the country, Fine Gael sold off the remaining bits, Sinn Fein blew up the country for decades, Labour aren't, Social Democrats aren't Labour, and the Independents aren't sane.
@cstross @oddhack @markdennehy So, in evil terms, more like a household demonic spirit that goes around hiding one sock from pairs and drying out all your pens.
@markdennehy All the better!
The IRISH gov’t is acting against a corporate-person’s interests?!
Holy carp, up really is down now.
@BenHM3 It's not the government, this is the equivalent of a US congressman demanding the US attorney general bring charges/set up a grand jury. It's still significant though, because it forces the government to respond in some manner, and risk huge public opprobium if they don't do the right (obvious) thing.
