Why Malaysia and Indonesia Banned Musk’s Grok AI
Malaysia and Indonesia block Elon Musk’s Grok after AI deepfake misuse creates explicit, non-consensual images, raising global online safety alarms.
Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Elon Musk's artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, Grok, because it is capable of creating sexually explicit deepfakes.
Grok, a tool on Musk's X platform, allows users to create images, but has recently been used to edit images of real people and display them in indecent clothing.
The Southeast Asian countries have stated that Grok can be used to create pornographic and non-consensual images of women and children. They are the first countries in the world to ban this AI tool.
Pressure to block Grok is also growing in the UK, with the UK's Technology Secretary saying she would support the move, after which Musk accused the government of trying to suppress freedom of expression.
The communications ministries of Malaysia and Indonesia announced their action against Groq in separate statements over the weekend.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said on Sunday that it had issued a notice to X earlier this year, demanding strict action after discovering "repeated misuse" of Groq to create harmful content.
But in its response, X failed to address inherent risks in the platform's design and focused primarily on the reporting process for users, the regulator said.
It also stated that Grok would remain blocked until effective safeguards are implemented and urged the public to report harmful online content.
Indonesia's Communications and Digital Affairs Minister, Meutya Hafid, said in an Instagram post that creating sexually explicit content using Groq violates human rights, dignity, and online safety.
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The ministry has also asked Musk's X to provide clarification on its use of Grok.
Indonesian authorities have also cracked down on other online sources of pornographic content in recent years, with platforms like OnlyFans and Pornhub already banned in the country.
Indonesian X users who found their edited photos on the platform said they were outraged that this was allowed to happen.
Kirana Ayuningtyas, a wheelchair user who posts about her daily life online, discovered that a stranger had commented on her photo with a prompt asking Grok to show her wearing a bikini.
Ayuningtyas said she adjusted her privacy settings and contacted the platform to remove the images and prevent users from editing her photos. "Unfortunately, none of this worked," she said, adding that it's difficult to tell if anyone is still retaining those photos.
She asked her friends to report the accounts that published her edited photos, but doing so meant even more people would see the edited photos, which was deeply embarrassing for her.
The use of Grok to create sexual images has been condemned by leaders worldwide, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called it "shameful" and "disgusting."
The country's Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, has also stated that she would support Ofcom if the regulator blocks UK access to Elon Musk's social media site X for non-compliance with online safety laws.
She stated that the UK's Online Safety Act "includes the power to block access to services in the UK if they refuse to comply with UK law," and that "if Ofcom decides to use those powers, we will fully support them."
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