Elon Musk’s AI venture has suffered a major setback as xAI’s chatbot Grok has been temporarily banned in Indonesia and Malaysia. The move comes after serious allegations that Grok was being misused to generate fake and obscene deepfake images, with women and children reportedly being targeted.
Both governments have taken a strong stand, calling Grok’s technology a growing digital threat. The decision follows rising global concerns over AI-generated deepfakes, which can severely harm personal dignity, safety, and reputation. Recently, the Indian government had also expressed strong concern over the misuse of Grok through X.
Government action against Grok
Authorities in Malaysia and Indonesia made it clear that AI tools cannot operate without accountability. Malaysia’s regulator, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), stated that Grok was being used to create pornographic and obscene content without consent, directly threatening individual dignity and public safety.
The Malaysian government believes such unchecked AI use poses a serious social risk and requires immediate regulatory control.
Anger over X and xAI’s response
According to Malaysian officials, notices were sent to X and xAI on January 3 and January 8, asking them to introduce effective technical safeguards. However, regulators said the companies relied mainly on user-reporting mechanisms and failed to address the core issue of deepfake generation. This lack of concrete preventive measures ultimately led to the decision to block Grok.
Indonesia’s strong warning
Indonesia’s Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid described AI-generated fake pornographic content as a grave threat to women and children. She termed it a violation of human rights and digital security, adding that the government would not compromise on citizen safety. Indonesian authorities have demanded an immediate explanation from X regarding Grok’s features.
Rising global concern over deepfakes
AI-generated fake images and videos are becoming increasingly realistic, making it harder to distinguish truth from fabrication. Governments across the world—including India and countries in the European Union—have raised alarms and are pushing AI companies to implement strict safety guardrails.
