Musk’s Grok Blocked by Malaysia and Indonesia Over AI Deepfakes
Malaysia and Indonesia have taken the lead in blocking Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot created by Elon Musk’s xAI, following concerns from authorities regarding its misuse in generating sexually explicit and non-consensual images. The actions demonstrate an increasing worldwide apprehension regarding generative AI tools capable of creating lifelike images, sound, and text, as current protections prove inadequate in preventing their misuse. The Grok chatbot, available on Musk’s social media platform X, has faced criticism for producing manipulated images, including portrayals of women in bikinis or sexually explicit poses, along with images featuring children.
Regulators in the two Southeast Asian nations stated that current measures were failing to stop the production and dissemination of counterfeit pornographic material, especially that which involves women and minors. On Saturday, Indonesia’s government temporarily blocked access to Grok, a move that was followed by Malaysia on Sunday. “The government sees non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity and the safety of citizens in the digital space,” Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement Saturday. The ministry stated that the measure aims to safeguard women, children, and the wider community from counterfeit pornographic content produced by AI.
Initial findings indicated that Grok does not have adequate measures in place to prevent users from generating and disseminating pornographic content derived from actual images of Indonesian residents, Alexander Sabar, director general of digital space supervision, stated in a separate announcement. He stated that such practices pose a risk of violating privacy and image rights when photos are manipulated or shared without consent, leading to psychological, social, and reputational harm. In Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission imposed a temporary restriction on Grok on Sunday, citing repeated misuse of the tool for generating obscene, sexually explicit, and non-consensual manipulated images, including content involving women and minors.
The regulator stated that the notices issued this month to X Corp. and xAI, which demanded stronger safeguards, elicited responses that primarily depended on user reporting mechanisms. The restriction is imposed as a preventive and proportionate measure while legal and regulatory processes are ongoing. It said, adding that access will remain blocked until effective safeguards are put in place. Grok, which was launched in 2023, is available for free on X. Users have the ability to pose questions on the social media platform and tag posts they have directly authored or respond to posts made by other users. Last summer, the company introduced an image generator feature, Grok Imagine, which included a so-called spicy mode capable of producing adult content. The restrictions in Southeast Asia arise as Grok faces increasing scrutiny in various regions, including the European Union, Britain, India, and France. Last week, Grok restricted image generation and editing to paying users in response to a worldwide backlash regarding sexualized deepfakes of individuals. However, critics argue that the measures taken did not adequately resolve the issue.
