By Blessing Nweke
Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, citing concerns that the tool can be misused to generate sexually explicit and non-consensual deepfake images of real people.
Grok operates on Musk’s social media platform X and allows users to generate and edit images through AI prompts. In recent weeks, however, authorities say the tool has been widely used to manipulate photos of individuals, altering them to appear in revealing outfits without their consent. Regulators warned that such misuse poses serious risks to privacy, dignity and online safety, particularly for women and children.
In separate statements issued over the weekend, the communications ministries of Malaysia and Indonesia confirmed the ban, making them the first countries to completely block the AI chatbot. The BBC has contacted Grok and X for comment. Musk has previously dismissed criticism of X and its products, arguing that opponents often seek “any excuse for censorship.”
Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission said it had issued several notices to X earlier this year after identifying repeated cases in which Grok was used to create harmful content. The regulator said X’s response relied heavily on user reporting systems and failed to address what it described as inherent design flaws that allow abuse. Access to Grok will remain blocked until stronger safeguards are put in place, it added.
Indonesia’s communications and digital affairs minister, Meutya Hafid, said the creation of sexually explicit AI content violates human rights and personal dignity. The ministry has requested clarification from X on how Grok operates and what protections exist. Indonesia has previously banned platforms such as Pornhub and OnlyFans as part of wider efforts to curb online pornography.
Pressure is also growing in the UK, where Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has backed calls to restrict X for alleged failures to comply with online safety laws. Regulator Ofcom is expected to decide soon on possible action, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned the misuse of Grok as “disgraceful” and “disgusting.”
Original article
Comments