Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, due to its ability to generate sexually explicit deepfakes.
Grok Ban in Southeast Asia
Grok, a feature on Musk’s X platform, allows users to create images. Recently, the tool has been used to alter images of individuals, depicting them in revealing clothing.
Authorities in both Southeast Asian nations stated that Grok could be exploited to produce pornographic and non-consensual images, particularly involving women and children. They are the first countries globally to prohibit the AI tool.
X has been contacted for comment. Musk previously suggested that critics of his platform are seeking “any excuse for censorship.”
Pressure Mounts in Britain
Grok and its parent company, X, are also facing scrutiny in Britain. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has supported calls to block access to the platform over concerns about its compliance with online safety regulations.
The communications ministries of Malaysia and Indonesia announced their decisions to block Grok in separate statements over the weekend.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission stated on Sunday that it had issued notices to X earlier in the year, requesting stricter measures after identifying “repeated misuse” of Grok to generate harmful content. However, X’s response focused primarily on user reporting processes and did not adequately address the inherent risks associated with the platform’s design, according to the regulator.
The commission added that Grok will remain blocked until effective safeguards are implemented and encouraged the public to report harmful online content.
Indonesia’s communications and digital affairs minister, Meutya Hafid, stated on Instagram that using Grok to create sexually explicit content violates human rights, dignity, and online safety. The ministry has also requested clarification from X regarding Grok’s usage.
Indonesian authorities have previously banned other online platforms hosting pornographic material, including OnlyFans and Pornhub.
Impact on Users
Indonesian X users whose images were manipulated reported feeling anger and frustration. Kirana Ayuningtyas, a wheelchair user who shares her daily life online, discovered that someone had used Grok to generate an image of her wearing a bikini.
Ayuningtyas adjusted her privacy settings and contacted the platform to remove the image and prevent further alterations to her photos. “Unfortunately, none of that really worked,” she said, expressing concern that the images may still be circulating. She asked friends to report the accounts publishing the faked images, but this inadvertently increased the visibility of the content, causing her embarrassment.
British media regulator Ofcom is expected to announce its decision regarding Grok soon. The use of Grok to generate sexualized images has been widely condemned, including by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described it as “disgraceful” and “disgusting.”
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