Indonesia has become the first country to block access to Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot, citing its generation of non-consensual sexual deepfakes including pornographic depictions of women and children.
Elon Musk
Communications Minister Meutya Hafid announced the temporary restriction to shield citizens from digital harm, describing the content as a grave violation of human rights and online safety.
The decision follows a surge of explicit AI-altered images on X, where users tag Grok to undress real people or fabricate suggestive scenarios, some involving minors.
The Internet Watch Foundation flagged criminal exploitation for child sexual abuse material, prompting global alarm. X responded by limiting full image generation to paid subscribers with ID verification, though free editing tools persist.
Indonesia summoned X representatives under strict obscenity laws, while Malaysia followed with a similar block. UK regulator Ofcom reviews potential Online Safety Act breaches, with Technology Secretary Liz Kendall backing a full platform ban if needed, calling the imagery despicable.
Elon Musk dismissed critics as censorship seekers, even posting an AI bikini image of PM Keir Starmer to mock restrictions.
X’s Safety account vowed to remove illegal content, suspend accounts, and aid law enforcement, warning that Grok misuse carries severe consequences.
Reports documented dozens of degrading edits per minute in late December, underscoring gaps in safeguards despite policy bans on exploitation.
