Malaysia, Indonesia Block Grok Amid Deepfake Concerns
- tech360.tv
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, citing its ability to produce sexually explicit deepfakes. These nations are the first globally to ban the AI tool, which is part of Musk's X platform.
Grok allows users to generate images, but it has been used to edit pictures of real people, depicting them in revealing outfits. The Southeast Asian countries stated that Grok could be exploited to create pornographic and non-consensual images, including those involving women and children.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission announced it had issued notices to X earlier, seeking stricter measures after identifying "repeated misuse" of Grok to generate harmful content. The regulator added that X's response failed to address inherent risks in its platform's design, focusing instead on user reporting processes.
Grok will remain blocked in Malaysia until effective safeguards are implemented, the commission stated, urging the public to report harmful online content. Indonesia's communications and digital affairs minister, Meutya Hafid, stated via Instagram that using Grok for sexually explicit content violates human rights, dignity, and online safety.
The Indonesian ministry has also asked X for clarification regarding Grok's usage. Indonesian authorities have a history of cracking down on online sources of pornographic material, having previously banned platforms such as OnlyFans and Pornhub.
Indonesian X users whose manipulated pictures appeared on the platform expressed anger. Kirana Ayuningtyas, a wheelchair user who shares her daily experiences online, found a stranger had commented on her picture with a prompt asking Grok to depict her in a bikini.
Ayuningtyas adjusted her privacy settings and contacted the platform to remove the image and prevent further edits. "Unfortunately, none of that really worked," she said, noting the difficulty in knowing if others retained the images.
She asked friends to report accounts publishing her faked images, which inadvertently led to more people seeing the edited content, causing her deep embarrassment. The use of Grok to generate sexualised images has drawn condemnation globally.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the practice "disgraceful" and "disgusting." UK Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said she would support regulator Ofcom if it decided to block UK access to X for failing to comply with online safety laws.
Donelan noted that the UK's Online Safety Act includes "the power to block services from being accessed in the UK, if they refuse to comply with UK law." Donelan affirmed that Ofcom would have full government support if it chose to utilise those powers.
Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Grok, an AI chatbot on Elon Musk's X platform.
The ban stems from Grok's ability to produce sexually explicit deepfakes and non-consensual images.
Malaysia's regulator stated X failed to address platform risks after "repeated misuse" of Grok was found.
Source: BBC
