Ulf Kristersson to the rest of Europe:

Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson: "We will not let ourselves be blackmailed. Only Denmark and Greenland decide on issues concerning Denmark and Greenland... This is an EU issue that affects many more countries than those now being singled out"

The Special Relationship.

"The idea for this cover was an ode to the post workers, couriers and delivery drivers who just (literally) carried the Christmas season on their backs," writes @selkies.bsky.social, about the image she made for the cover of our most recent print edition. www.dublininquirer.com/cover-image-...

New podcast out now: - Will Ireland and the EU’s relationship with the US last the year? Is the political threat to Simon Harris going under the radar? The big questions that will define 2026. - Why Elon Musk’s X is not off the hook. - Revisiting 2016 in News. podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/t...

The Government says concerns remain after the AI Minister met executives at X to discuss the Grok deepfake scandal. The Taoiseach says there must be “absolute enforcement” when it comes to intimate images involving children, adding the company should be pursued. #VMNews

Taoiseach: “We have issues with a lot of platforms at different times…” 🗣️ “But they’re not generating child sex abuse material… this is a different scale.” Taoiseach challenged on X and Grok, and admits they should be “pursued” in respect of generated intimate images of children.

X is refusing to come before the Media Committee, a move described as “disgraceful” by Chair Alan Kelly. labour.ie/news/2026/01...

Statement on the meeting between X and Niamh Smyth. Govt to meet on Monday. Doesn’t sound like X gave much.

Have a two part follow-up on the issues raised over the last few weeks on @virginmedianews.bsky.social next week. Grateful to the interviewees, who have very bravely told their stories. Non-consensual AI image manipulation is a massive problem and it’s only going to worsen without drawing a line.

Niamh Smyth meeting X as we speak. Confusion as to what exactly has been said to her - Taoiseach initially appears to say he understands they told her Grok as an app would be disabled but later clarified that he meant Grok’s edit image function on X…

Niamh Smyth meeting X as we speak. Confusion as to what exactly has been said to her - Taoiseach initially appears to say he understands they told her Grok as an app would be disabled but later clarified that he meant Grok’s edit image function on X…

X still allowing users to post sexualised images generated by Grok AI tool

New podcast out now: - Will Ireland and the EU’s relationship with the US last the year? Is the political threat to Simon Harris going under the radar? The big questions that will define 2026. - Why Elon Musk’s X is not off the hook. - Revisiting 2016 in News. podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/t...

Just sitting up on a shelf with Noni Madueke’s Club Word Cup medal.

#New Minister Niamh Smyth says X is 'absolutely not' off the hook and she'll be telling company as much in a meeting tomorrow. She tells me, after meeting the Attorney General this evening, she's confident Ireland has 'robust' laws in place to be enforced here. @virginmedianews.bsky.social

Live next on @virginmedianews.bsky.social with the latest on Grok.

Will say, I do love a good "X is a fraud". Absolute football pub talk.

AI Minister Niamh Smyth tells the Dáil that if she had the power, she'd have shut down X as soon as it was clear "vile and poison" was on its site. She says X will be told tomorrow that it will face "the full rigours of the law in Ireland".

Such interesting timing...

Now @paralympicsireland.bsky.social has become the latest sporting body to stop posting on X. paralympics.ie/update-on-pa...

Elon Musk says Grok will restrict editing or generating images of real people in places where it is illegal, but users report the mechanism is still active. It follows Garda confirmation that investigations into the Grok scandal are underway. #VMNews

Very strong statement from Dublin Rape Crisis Centre saying it's "not enough" that X has said it will make changes. CEO Rachel Morrogh says the "explosion in the use of Grok" in recent days shows "how willing some people are to commit acts of technology-facilitated sexual violence".

Even if this were true, "naked underage images" is a red herring. There were reports of infants depicted in bikinis with simulated semen on their faces. Nudity is so obviously not the red line here that I cannot believe govts are entertaining these statements, let alone "welcoming" them.

Chair of the Media Committee Alan Kelly says the supposed moves announced by X today are "absolutely not" good enough - saying that, even if they were implemented, the use of VPNs render them next to useless. "Ireland needs to lead on this... these companies are headquartered here."

What’s the point in this sort of stuff?

A number of colleagues have used Grok - with non-premium to edit their own images to generate intimate images. No checks or warning messages just straight into it.

“…where geoblocked”

"People guessed around 43.8% of people born outside of Ireland were availing of social housing compared to the real figure of 6.1%." www.thejournal.ie/immigration-...

Study was funded by the Department of Justice - be interesting to see whether the Minister will issue a press release on this bit of work by his department...

More Grok / X coverage on The Group Chat later as it appears Elon Musk's tech company might be spooked...

X says it does also apply to the Grok app.

Lengthy statement from X released last night about Grok and adhering to the law. Have asked for clarification because it only appears to apply to “@Grok” on Twitter or “in Grok in X”. Will update if and when it’s cleared up.

Here’s the rundown of today’s committee meeting ⤵️

We're now seeing headlines that claim X is blocking Grok from complying with requests to undress and sexualize women. Wrong again gang — it happily stripped me, gave me bigger breasts, and put me in pornographic poses, entirely for free. All I had to do was ask. www.theverge.com/news/861894/...

“So now you have the Gardaí, the AI Minister and multiple legal experts including @iccl.bsky.social saying the legislation is all there already - it’s going to be increasingly difficult for the Government not to take a position on this”.

Studio analysis up next. With Gardaí, the AI Minister and a number of legal experts saying Ireland has all the tools it needs to investigate and prosecute the Grok scandal, what happens next? @virginmedianews.bsky.social

Someone gets it.

Full coverage of very interesting Media Committee meeting with Gardaí currently focusing on X / Grok.

"There are 200 reports that are being investigated involving CSAM or CSAM-indicative," says Walsh - that's the scale of the investigation underway by gardaí.

Good questioning here from Gibney.

🚨 Breaking Gardaí say investigations are underway following Grok scandal. "We have received reports and referrals of content on that platform that is under investigation... the process takes some time... it has to be assessed to make sure it's criminal... the people responsible have to be ID'd"

High level meeting with Taoiseach, AG, and various Ministers is not today. Taoiseach will be meeting with Niamh Smyth on the X / Grok issue this evening however.

The FT got is architecture critic Edwin Heathcote to write about data centres and it's wonderful. www.ft.com/content/7692...

Supt Barry Walsh: "where appropriate, these crimes will be the subject of thorough investigation, with a view to bringing those responsible or any person conspiring to commit or accommodate such offending before the courts..."

Appeal set to be heard in court in London today on the decision to throw out the terror charge against Kneecap's Mo Chara. "Better luck next time," was his response to the case being thrown out, in the only interview he has given since - with Virgin Media News.

Judge who called cyclists ‘a nightmare’ was fined for failing to provide breath test to garda www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/co...

The Senate passed Dick Durbin’s legislation that allows people to sue Twitter and other platforms over non consensual fake images made with artificial intelligence. rollcall.com/2026/01/13/s...

Sport England suspends account on X, saying the platform 'increasingly promotes and monetises an environment that is hostile to women and girls'. Latest from @seaningle.bsky.social