Indonesia has made a bold move, becoming the first country to block Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot amid growing fears over its misuse. Authorities cited serious concerns that the AI tool was generating non-consensual sexual deepfake imagery, including explicit content involving women and children.
The decision, announced by Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, reflects a sharp response to what the government called “rapidly escalating digital harm.” Hafid described the creation of non-consensual deepfakes as a “serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space,” adding that the block is meant to protect women, children, and the public from manipulated content.
The controversy centers on Grok’s integration with Musk’s social media platform X, where users could generate AI-altered or AI-fabricated images by tagging the bot. In recent weeks, the platform has been flooded with manipulated photos, many partially unclothed or sexually explicit. Reports indicate that Grok could produce such images “dozens of times per minute,” and authorities have warned that criminals are exploiting the technology to produce child sexual abuse material.
In response to public backlash, X restricted AI image generation to paying subscribers, requiring identity verification. Critics argue that these measures are insufficient, pointing out that free users can still manipulate images through X’s editing tools or Grok’s standalone site.
The UK government has also weighed in. Media regulator Ofcom is reviewing whether X violates the Online Safety Act, with Technology Secretary Liz Kendall declaring, “Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent.”
Elon Musk, meanwhile, has dismissed the criticism, framing it as an attempt at censorship. In one controversial post, he shared an AI-generated image of UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in a bikini, writing, “They just want to suppress free speech.”
X has assured users that illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, will be removed, and violators will face consequences similar to uploading unlawful content directly.
As AI continues to advance at a rapid pace, countries like Indonesia are taking decisive steps to protect citizens, highlighting the urgent need for ethical frameworks around digital tools capable of creating hyper-realistic imagery.
