Indonesia and Malaysia Block Elon Musk’s Grok AI Over Explicit Deepfakes
Indonesia and Malaysia have blocked access to Grok, the AI chatbot created by Elon Musk’s company xAI, after widespread concerns that it was being used to create explicit and abusive fake images. The ban was put in place over the weekend of 10–11 January 2026, following global criticism of the tool’s lack of safeguards.
What Triggered the Ban
The decision came after a disturbing trend spread on X (formerly Twitter), where Grok is built into the platform. Users were using simple text commands to:
Remove clothes from photos of real people
Create sexualised images of women
Produce fake pornographic images without consent, including in some cases involving minors
At its peak, analysts estimate Grok was being used to generate thousands of explicit fake images every hour, with little effort required and weak safety checks.
Government Response
Both countries moved quickly, citing their strict laws on online content and public harm.
Indonesia: On Saturday, Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid called non-consensual deepfakes a “serious violation of human rights and personal dignity”. The government has summoned representatives from X to explain why stronger protections were not in place.
Malaysia: On Sunday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) imposed its own block. It said previous warnings to X and xAI had been ignored and criticised the company for relying on users to report abuse rather than stopping it from happening in the first place. The action was taken under Section 233 of Malaysia’s communications law.
Reaction from xAI and Elon Musk
At first, xAI appeared dismissive. When contacted by journalists, the company reportedly responded with an automated message saying: “Legacy media lies.”
As pressure grew — with regulators in India, the UK and the European Union also launching inquiries — xAI made several changes:
Paid Access Only: Image-generation tools were restricted to paying “Premium” users
Account Bans: Musk said anyone creating illegal content would face legal consequences, and hundreds of accounts were removed
Damage Control: Grok posted a message to Indonesian users saying the company was “working to fix the issue”
Why This Matters
Indonesia and Malaysia are the first countries to fully block Grok, but the fallout goes much further. Critics say Grok’s relaxed rules, including its so-called “spicy mode”, make it far more dangerous than rival AI tools from Google or OpenAI, which have tighter controls.
The wider debate is no longer just about free speech, but about who is responsible when AI tools are used to harm real people.
Bottom line: Governments are losing patience with tech companies that fail to police their own platforms. When digital safety and human dignity are at stake, authorities are increasingly stepping in — and blocking access altogether.