Malaysia and Indonesia have moved to block access to Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, citing growing concerns over its use in generating sexually explicit and non-consensual deepfake images.
The chatbot, integrated into Musk’s social media platform X, allows users to create and manipulate images. Authorities in both countries say the tool has increasingly been misused to alter images of real people, portraying them in sexualised or revealing ways without consent.
Communications regulators in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta said the decision was taken to protect women and children from digital exploitation, marking the first known national bans of the AI tool globally.
Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission said it had earlier issued notices to X requesting stronger safeguards after discovering repeated misuse of Grok to generate harmful content. However, regulators said the company’s response focused largely on user reporting mechanisms rather than addressing the platform’s structural risks.
The regulator added that Grok would remain blocked until effective safety measures are introduced and urged the public to report harmful online material.
Indonesia’s Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, described the production of sexually explicit AI-generated images as a violation of human rights and personal dignity. She said the ministry had formally requested clarification from X regarding Grok’s operation and safeguards.
Indonesia has previously taken a hard stance against online pornography, banning platforms such as OnlyFans and Pornhub, and authorities said AI-generated sexual content posed a similar threat.
Several Indonesian users said they had already been targeted by Grok-generated image manipulation. Kirana Ayuningtyas, a disability rights advocate, said a stranger prompted the chatbot to edit her photograph to depict her wearing a bikini.
Despite adjusting her privacy settings and reporting the image, Ayuningtyas said the content remained accessible. She described the experience as distressing and humiliating, adding that reporting the images risked spreading them further.
Pressure on Grok is also mounting in Europe. In the UK, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has backed calls for tougher action against X over online safety concerns, while media regulator Ofcom is expected to rule on potential restrictions.
The use of AI to create sexualised deepfakes has drawn condemnation from global leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described such content as “disgraceful” and “disgusting.”
Elon Musk has previously dismissed criticism of X as attempts to justify censorship. Both X and Grok has been contacted for comment.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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