Indonesia Lifts Ban on Elon Musk's Grok After X Commits to Curb Sexualised AI Images

Jakarta, Feb 1 — Indonesia has agreed to allow Elon Musk's Grok chatbot to resume services after a three-week suspension that targeted the risk of AI-generated sexualised images, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs said in a statement seen by Reuters.

The Southeast Asian nation initially suspended Grok amid concerns it could be used to create pornographic or sexualised content, becoming the first country to block access to the AI tool. The ministry said the resumption of service is being processed "on a conditional basis and under strict supervision."

Senior ministry official Alexander Sabar said the decision followed a written commitment from X Corp outlining concrete steps to improve the service and prevent abuse. "The normalisation of access to Grok services is being carried out conditionally after X Corp submitted a written commitment containing concrete steps for service improvement and prevention of abuse. This commitment is the basis for evaluation, not the end of the supervision process," he said.

"X has implemented a number of 'layered' measures to address misuse of Grok services, and these will be continuously verified," the ministry added.

X and xAI, the firm that operates Grok, did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment outside business hours. Authorities in Europe and other parts of Asia have also criticised sexualised content produced by Grok and in some cases opened regulatory inquiries.

The ministry indicated that its supervision will be ongoing and that verification of the safeguards will continue as X’s commitments are evaluated. Reporting by Dewi Kurniawati in Jakarta; Editing by William Mallard.