Malaysia and Indonesia Block Elon Musk’s Grok AI Tool
12th Jan. 2026
Malaysia and Indonesia have become the first countries in the world to block access to “Grok.” The decision was taken after authorities said that it was being misused to create sexually explicit and non-consensual deepfake images. Grok AI is an artificial intelligence chatbot that is linked to Elon Musk’s social media platform X. The bans were announced over the weekend and highlighted the serious risks to women, children, and online safety.
Grok, which allows users to generate images, has recently been used to alter photos of real people and showed them in revealing outfits without their consent. As a result, both governments said that, the tool poses a clear threat to human dignity, as well as public morality. The leading news site has also contacted both X and Grok for a comment, although no response has yet been issued.
Governments raised concerns over online harm due to Grok AI
Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission said that it had issued notices to X earlier this year after identifying “repeated misuse” of Grok by generating harmful and explicit content. However, the regulator stated that X’s response failed to address the inherent risks which linked to the platform’s design. Instead, they focused largely on users’ reporting mechanisms.
As a result, the commission confirmed that Grok will remain blocked until effective safeguards are introduced. At the same time, authorities urged the public to actively report harmful online material. They stressed that prevention must involve both platforms and users.
Similarly, Indonesia’s communications and digital affairs minister, Meutya Hafid, emphasized that using Grok to produce sexually explicit material is a violation of “human rights, dignity, and online safety.” While writing on Instagram, she added that the ministry has formally asked X to clarify how Grok operates and what measures are taken in place to prevent abuse.
International Pressure is growing over Elon Musk’s X
The bans came amid mounting global scrutiny of Musk’s platform. In Britain, pressure is also increasing after Technology Secretary Liz Kendall backed calls to block access to X for allegedly failing to comply with online safety laws. Meanwhile, British media regulator Ofcom is expected to soon decide what action, if any, should be taken against Grok.
Indonesia has already taken a hard stance on online pornography in recent years. They have already banned platforms like OnlyFans and Pornhub nationwide. Therefore, officials informed that the action against Grok aligns with existing policies designed to protect minors and limit harmful digital content.
Despite Musk’s prior claims that critics are looking for “any excuse for censorship,” world leaders have strongly criticized the use of AI-generated sexualized images. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the practice as “disgraceful” and “disgusting,” while highlighting the broader concern about how rapidly advancing AI tools are being exploited. Taken together, the actions by Malaysia and Indonesia signal a potential turning point. Both governments are increasingly moving to regulate AI platforms that fail to prevent serious online harm.
Web Resources on the Grok AI Controversy
1. ABCNews.go.com: Malaysia, Indonesia become first to block Musk’s Grok over AI deepfakes
2. NYTimes.com: Malaysia and Indonesia Block Access to Grok Because of Sexually Explicit Content
3. Reuters.com: Indonesia temporarily blocks access to Grok over sexualised images
4. Independent.com.uk: Malaysia, Indonesia become first to block Musk’s Grok over AI deepfakes