Sport England has suspended its X account, citing the platform’s promotion of an environment hostile to women and girls. Chair Chris Boardman condemned ‘abhorrent outputs’ linked to Elon Musk’s Grok AI tool, which he said normalise misogynistic content. The public funder said staying undermined its mission to make sport safe and welcoming for everyone.

The move follows an Ofcom investigation into X over Grok’s creation of sexualised images. Sport England previously raised alarms about racist and sexist abuse aimed at England’s women’s football team. Last year, thousands of vile posts, many on X, targeted Premier League and Women’s Super League figures, including death and rape threats.

Boardman argued X has become less effective for outreach as conversations grow more divisive. While some organisations choose to challenge harmful narratives from within, Sport England said leaving is a values-aligned responsibility. It urged tech companies, especially X, to take greater accountability for the environments they create and the content they amplify.

UK Sport recently committed over £300,000 to an app shielding athletes from abusive posts through Los Angeles 2028. Expect more funders and governing bodies to reassess platform partnerships, and for Ofcom’s probe to shape rules around AI-generated content. X faces mounting pressure to tighten moderation and curb Grok-fueled abuse.