Indonesia has temporarily blocked access to the AI chatbot Grok.
The reason for the temporary block is the risks of AI-generated pornographic content.
The country is the first to restrict access to the tool.
The move follows concerns from governments and regulators across Asia and Europe about sexualized content produced by the app.
Some authorities have also launched inquiries into the issue.
xAI, the company behind Grok, announced on Thursday that it would limit image generation and editing features to paying subscribers.
The company said this step is part of efforts to fix safeguard lapses that had previously allowed sexualized outputs.
It also included the sexualisation of women and children.
“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,” said Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid.
The ministry also summoned xAI officials to discuss the matter.
Elon Musk
CEO Elon Musk said on X that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face the same legal consequences as if they had uploaded illegal material directly.
Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, has strict laws banning the sharing of online content deemed obscene.
Other countries
Other countries have also reacted to this.
The European Commission on Thursday extended a retention order sent to X last year.
It required the company to preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026.
This move also came with concerns over sexualized “undressed” images generated by the AI tool.
In the UK, communications regulator Ofcom said on Monday that it had made “urgent contact” with X and xAI.
Ofcom will quickly assess whether the service is complying with its legal obligations to protect users under the Online Safety Act.
