Farage says Reform has contacted X 'at highest level' over fake AI ads

Reform leader Nigel Farage has called on X to act over a series of fake, AI-generated adverts which depict him fighting Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey.

The ads - showing the Reform leader and Bank of England governor in a number of fake scenarios, on a set resembling BBC Question Time - have been repeatedly shown to X users in the UK in recent days.

Farage told reporters on Tuesday that Reform UK contacted X on Monday "at the highest level" - adding he hoped it would take action to remove the ads "incredibly quickly".

The BBC has approached X for comment.

It comes after the Bank of England also urged X users to report the ads, where seen.

"Unfortunately, fake adverts impersonating the Bank of England and other central banks are on the rise," said Governor Andrew Bailey in a statement.

"These scams are designed to criminally exploit the public, especially the vulnerable, when they are online."

He urged the public to stay vigilant and "report these scams".

"That way authorities can better root out digital deception like this and permanently remove the fraudsters responsible for what is a truly online scourge."

The ads have repeatedly appeared to users on X in recent days, and show the two men arguing or fighting.

Some of the promoted posts falsely depict Farage kicking, grabbing and lunging after Bailey on BBC Question Time, with some imagery also displaying bruising on their faces.

"You may have seen some bizarre AI videos on this platform today," Farage wrote in a post on the platform on Monday evening.

"Whilst Andrew Bailey and I have our disagreements, I would never take it that far!"

Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to Grangemouth on Tuesday, he added that he did not know "whether to laugh or whether to be angry" about the fake ads.

"The trouble is it's an AI fake but it looks real in every way, and people know that the governor and I have had our disagreements over things over the years," he said.

Staying vigilant

Many of the adverts viewed by the BBC were posted by X user accounts with blue ticks - a symbol indicating a subscription to the platform's Premium tier.

Platform owner Elon Musk previously touted changes to the verification badge as "the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over" after buying Twitter.

False AI ads of Farage and Bailey seen by BBC News also often displayed a fake "play" button to suggest they were a video that could be played by clicking on it.

By hovering over the links for some of the original posts used in the adverts, the BBC was able to identify that many of them would direct people to sites promoting AI cryptocurrency trading schemes or apps.

In guidance on its website, the Bank of England says that neither it and its staff endorse or advertise any products.

"We are aware of videos and adverts on social media platforms that appear to show senior Bank representatives endorsing investments or financial products. These are not genuine," it says.

The Bank also says if you see such content you should not click on it or invest - instead report the post or advert on the platform, and then to Action Fraud.

Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.