Malaysia and Indonesia Block Elon Musk’s AI Tool Grok Over Explicit Deepfakes

Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, citing concerns that the tool can be used to generate sexually explicit deepfake images of real people without consent.

Grok, an AI chatbot integrated into Musk’s social media platform X, allows users to generate and edit images. Authorities in both countries said the tool has been misused in recent weeks to create manipulated images depicting women and children in revealing or sexualised scenarios.

The two Southeast Asian nations are the first in the world to ban Grok.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said it had earlier warned X about the “repeated misuse” of Grok to generate harmful content. The regulator said X’s response focused mainly on reporting mechanisms rather than addressing what it described as fundamental design risks within the platform.

Malaysia said access to Grok will remain blocked until effective safeguards are implemented and urged the public to report harmful online content.

Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, said the use of Grok to create sexually explicit material violates human rights, dignity and online safety. In a post on Instagram, she said the ministry had requested clarification from X regarding the operation and safeguards of the AI tool.

Indonesian authorities have previously blocked access to online platforms hosting pornographic material, including Pornhub and OnlyFans, as part of wider digital content restrictions.

Some Indonesian X users whose images were manipulated using Grok said they were distressed by the experience. Kirana Ayuningtyas, a wheelchair user who shares content about her daily life, said a stranger used her photo to prompt Grok to depict her wearing a bikini.

Ayuningtyas said she contacted X and adjusted her privacy settings, but the image continued circulating. She added that asking others to report the content risked spreading the manipulated image further, which she described as humiliating.

The BBC has contacted Grok for comment. Musk has previously said critics of his platforms are using content concerns as “an excuse for censorship”.

Grok and its parent company X are also facing scrutiny in the United Kingdom. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has backed calls to restrict access to the platform for allegedly failing to comply with online safety regulations. Media regulator Ofcom is expected to decide soon on possible action related to Grok.

The use of AI tools to generate sexualised deepfake images has drawn condemnation globally. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described such content as “disgraceful” and “disgusting”.