Indonesia has temporarily blocked access to Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI, citing concerns over the risk of AI-generated pornographic and sexualised content. The decision makes Indonesia the first country to formally deny access to the tool.
The move comes amid growing international backlash, with governments and regulators across Europe and Asia condemning Grok over its role in generating and spreading sexualised images online, including non-consensual content.
xAI said on Thursday that it had begun restricting Grok’s image generation and editing features to paying subscribers, after safeguard failures allowed the production of sexualised outputs, including depictions involving minors. The company said the changes were part of efforts to tighten controls and prevent misuse.
Indonesia’s Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said the government viewed non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights and digital safety.
“The government views the practice of non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space,” Hafid said in a statement.
The ministry has also summoned officials from X, where Grok is embedded, to discuss the issue and clarify what measures are being taken to prevent further abuse.
Elon Musk said on X that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as users who upload such material directly. When contacted by Reuters, xAI responded with what appeared to be an automated message stating, “Legacy Media Lies.” X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, enforces strict laws banning the online distribution of content deemed obscene. Authorities said the temporary block would remain in place while regulators assess compliance and safeguards surrounding the AI tool.