Malaysia's and Indonesia's Ministries of Communications officially announced the suspension of access to "Grok," Elon Musk's artificial intelligence (AI) tool on the X platform, over the past weekend. They cited the high risk of the technology being used to create unauthorized pornographic images and sexual deepfakes without the consent of the individuals depicted.
Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) revealed that it had previously sent a letter to the X platform requesting stricter control measures after discovering repeated harmful content generated using Grok. However, X ignored structural risk fixes and focused only on user report processes, prompting Malaysia to block Grok until effective safeguards are implemented.
Indonesian Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs, Ms. Muhtia Hafid, stated on Instagram that using Grok to create sexual content is a serious violation of human dignity and rights. She ordered X to urgently clarify its usage policies. Indonesia maintains strict policies to eliminate online pornographic content and has previously banned platforms such as OnlyFans and Pornhub.
Beyond ASEAN, Grok and the X platform face intense pressure in the United Kingdom, where UK Secretary of State for Technology Liz Kendall has supported blocking access to the platform if X does not comply with online safety legislation.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the use of AI to create pornographic images as "disgusting and shameful" behavior. It is expected that Ofcom, the UK's media regulator, will soon decide on measures to address Grok.
Previously, Elon Musk responded to critics of his platform by saying they were merely seeking "excuses to censor." However, to date, X and Grok have not issued any official statements regarding the bans imposed by the two countries.
/sourceBBC