Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Grok, an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk and integrated into the social media platform X, citing concerns over its use in generating sexually explicit deepfake images.
Authorities in the two Southeast Asian countries said the AI tool has been misused to create pornographic and non-consensual images of real individuals, including women and children. The action makes Malaysia and Indonesia the first countries in the world to impose an outright ban on Grok.
Grok allows users to generate and edit images, but regulators say the feature has been exploited to manipulate photographs of people, depicting them in sexualised or revealing ways without their consent.
In separate statements issued over the weekend, the communications ministries of both countries announced the decision to block the tool.
Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission said it had previously issued notices to X, calling for stronger safeguards after identifying what it described as “repeated misuse” of Grok to produce harmful content. The regulator noted that X’s response focused largely on user reporting mechanisms and failed to adequately address the fundamental risks associated with the platform’s design.
The commission added that access to Grok would remain blocked until effective safety measures are implemented, while urging members of the public to report harmful online content.
In Indonesia, Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid described the use of Grok to generate sexually explicit material as a violation of human rights, dignity, and online safety. Writing on Instagram, she said the ministry had requested clarification from X regarding how the tool is being used and monitored.
Indonesia has previously banned several online platforms that host or distribute pornographic content, including OnlyFans and Pornhub, as part of a broader crackdown on such material.
