On this one topic Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley can agree: Elon Musk’s social media platform is abhorrent. So why do they continue to use it?

On Saturday they joined the international outcry over the repulsive chatbot Grok that Musk has just unleashed on X, which some posters have used to generate sexually explicit images of public figures, people they hate or even children.

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk.Credit: AP

Sure, X has now made its latest trolling toy exclusive for paid subscribers, in a token gesture of accountability, and Musk says those who upload the images will be prosecuted – I guess by government agencies that can find the posters. Musk says the tool can’t be blamed for how people use it.

But let’s face it, the space formerly known as Twitter is now a cesspit where people let loose with tribal aggression, porn slop and hate speech.

Nevertheless, the same day Albanese was telling reporters that X “once again, is an example of social media not showing social responsibility”, Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong was using her account to condemn Iran’s violent crackdown on protests.

On January 4, X was the only platform Albanese’s office used to........

© The Sydney Morning Herald