Grok has been banned by the Indonesian and Malaysian governments as the UK threatens a full ban

Grok’s access has been cut off for users in Indonesia and Malaysia following concerns that the xAI chatbot’s protection was ineffective.

Both countries have issued temporary suspensions that are intended to last until xAI implements safeguards that comply with regulators’ demands.

“The government considers the practice of non-consensual sex as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and safety of citizens in the digital environment,” wrote Indonesia’s minister of communications and digital affairs Meutya Hafid in a statement released on Saturday. Indonesia has shocking internet censorship laws that regulate content that is considered “obscene.”

Malaysia recently launched an investigation into the “misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the X platform,” part of a wave of intervention actions taken by regulators. That investigation followed a notice from India’s IT ministry ordering X to take immediate action on Grok’s misuse. The notice addresses potential violations of the country’s Information Technology Act.

French authorities in the Paris prosecutor’s office and other foreign governments, including the UK and the EU investigation, have announced a joint investigation into xAI technology and its regulation under relevant cyber security laws. Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese also issued a statement about Grok’s deep problems, emphasizing the country’s decision to close social media to users under the age of 16. In addition, the US-based National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) has urged the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate X under the most recent anti-sexual harassment laws (CSAM) and the most recent Take It Down Act.

UK technology secretary Liz Kendall recently said she would support banning X outright, if the UK’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) concludes that the platform is in breach of the Internet Safety Act. Kendall said he expects a decision to be made in the next few days.

Elon Musk, who once said users should face consequences for “uploading illegal content” on X, responded to threats of a ban by accusing the UK government of being too eager to ban the company. In a post on X, Musk wrote: “They just want to suppress free speech.” Musk also shared several X posts claiming Grok was being targeted by government officials.

A recent Wired investigation found that the desktop and app versions of Grok Imagine were able to generate sexually violent content and images, depictions of celebrities in sexual situations, and AI-generated CSAM, despite built-in protections. The chatbot has a well-documented history of producing sexual deepfakes, including a request from users asking Grok to “undress” without their consent certain people in publicly uploaded photos.