Indonesia cracks down on xAI’s Grok over AI-generated s3xual abuse content
Indonesia cracks down on xAI’s Grok over AI-generated s3xual abuse content
Indonesian authorities have temporarily blocked access to xAI’s chatbot Grok, citing concerns over the spread of non-consensual, sexualised AI-generated images on the platform.
The decision, announced on Saturday, marks one of the strongest government actions yet against the growing circulation of explicit deepfakes, many of which reportedly depict real women and minors and, in some cases, simulate assault and abuse. Grok operates on the social media platform X, which, like xAI, is owned by Elon Musk.
In a statement shared with The Guardian and other international media outlets, Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, said the government views non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a grave violation of human rights and personal dignity.
“The government sees the creation and spread of non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space,” Hafid said.
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The ministry has also summoned representatives of X to clarify the situation and discuss steps to address the issue.
Indonesia’s move comes amid mounting global scrutiny of Grok and similar AI tools. In recent days, India’s IT ministry ordered xAI to take immediate action to prevent the chatbot from generating obscene content. Meanwhile, the European Commission has instructed the company to preserve all documents related to Grok, a move widely seen as a precursor to a potential regulatory investigation.
In the United Kingdom, communications regulator Ofcom said it would carry out a rapid assessment to determine whether Grok breaches existing safety and compliance rules. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly backed the regulator, saying it has his “full support to take action” if necessary.
