Malaysia Bans Grok Over AI Deepfake Pornography Concerns

Malaysia has blocked access to Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence model Grok following concerns over the chatbot’s ability to create sexually explicit images of people without their consent. The ban comes after xAI and social media platform X failed to adequately address regulatory concerns regarding safeguards against misuse.

Grok Ban Follows Regulatory Concerns

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced the temporary ban on Sunday, after ordering xAI and X to implement measures ensuring compliance with the law. The MCMC stated that X focused on user reporting mechanisms and did not address the inherent risks associated with the AI tool’s design and operation.

“MCMC considers this insufficient to prevent harm or ensure legal compliance,” the commission said in a statement.

The move follows Indonesia’s formal ban of Grok the previous day, making it the first country to do so.

Controversy Over Image Generation

Grok has faced significant controversy in recent days due to its image-generation tool being used to depict real people in sexualized poses and minimal clothing without their consent. The spread of these deepfakes, including some involving minors, has drawn condemnation from officials in multiple countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Australia.

Initially, xAI responded to a request for comment with an automated message stating, “Legacy Media Lies.” A spokesperson later directed inquiries to a previous statement from X, which affirmed the platform’s commitment to removing illegal content, including child sexual abuse material.

“Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content,” the statement read.

Last week, Grok began limiting access to its image-generation tool to paid subscribers on X in an attempt to mitigate the controversy. However, European officials and campaigners criticized this move as insufficient to address the core issue of facilitating nonconsensual imagery.