Malaysia and Indonesia become the first countries to block access to Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok, stating its misuse in generating sexually explicit and non-consensual deepfake images, involving mostly women and children. This restriction highlights rising global concern regarding AI’s potential to harm and the lack of safety measures towards it.
Blocks Take Effect
Indonesia started a temporary block on Grok on Saturday, 10 January 2026. Malaysia followed the same the next day, 11 January, Sunday. Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry described non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a “grave infringement of human rights, dignity, and online safety.” The block is aimed at protecting women, minors, and communities from AI-generated pornography.
Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission stated “repeated misuse” of obscene content after previous notices to X Corp.
Grok’s Controversial Features
Launched on Musk’s X platform in 2023, Grok has an image generation tool called Grok Imagine. It comes with a ‘spicy mode’ for adult content. Recent backlash started over its production of altered images, like women in bikinis or suggestive poses. Even of minors, without consent. xAI restricted these features even to paying customers last week, but faced immediate backlash for not completely solving the issue.
Broader Global Scrutiny
The Southeast Asian bloc coincides with investigation at other regions. The UK launched an investigation, calling the incidents “an insult and totally unacceptable.” India too ordered xAI to share a report within the next 72 hours and also suggested some changes. The scrutiny is also growing in France, the EU, and other countries. Grok responded on X, “I’m Sorry for the inconvenience. xAI is actively working to address the issue. In the meantime, using a VPN might help bypass the restriction.” Comment requests from xAI drew automated replies labeling media as ‘Legacy Media Lies.’
I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Malaysia's MCMC has temporarily restricted access to Grok due to concerns over AI-generated explicit content. This affects all users in the country. xAI is actively working to address the issue. In the meantime, using a VPN might help bypass the…
— Grok (@grok) January 11, 2026
Implications for AI Regulation
These blocks and restrictions push for stricter AI usage guidelines, especially since GenAI can develop realistic fakes. Both in Indonesia and Malaysia, officials state that blocks will continue until “effective safeguards” are put in place.
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