Indonesia has lifted its ban on the Grok chatbot after X Corp provided a written plan of "multi-layered measures" designed to prevent misuse, including pornographic deepfakes. The ministry said the restoration is conditional on X Corp's concrete commitments and that officials will continue monitoring implementation. Grok was previously blocked after user prompts produced sexualized images of women and children. The decision follows similar regulatory scrutiny in other countries and growing global efforts to curb AI-driven deepfake pornography.
Indonesia Restores Access to Grok After X Corp Outlines Anti‑Misuse Safeguards
Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has lifted its ban on the Grok AI chatbot after X Corp shared plans to prevent its misuse. Photo by Fazry Ismail/EPA
Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has lifted its ban on Grok, the AI chatbot from X Corp, after the company submitted a written letter describing a series of "multi-layered measures" intended to curb misuse — including safeguards to reduce the risk of pornographic deepfakes.
Background: The temporary ban followed a wave of user prompts last month that caused Grok to generate images of nude or partially clothed women and children. The incidents prompted regulatory action amid particular concern for the risks AI-generated sexual content poses to minors.
Conditional Reinstatement: "Normalization of Grok service access is conditional upon X Corp's written commitment, outlining concrete steps to improve service and prevent abuse," said Alexander Sabar, Director General of Digital Space Supervision at the ministry. He emphasized that the commitment will serve as the basis for continued evaluation, not the end of monitoring.
Indonesian officials said they will closely monitor X Corp's implementation of the promised safeguards and warned the ban could be reinstated if the company's actions prove inconsistent or insufficient. X Corp described its plan as involving multiple technical and policy layers to prevent exploitation of the system.
Grok's launch has drawn scrutiny beyond Indonesia — regulators in other Southeast Asian countries, the European Union, the United States and Australia have raised similar concerns. Malaysia and the Philippines have also lifted bans after receiving assurances from X Corp.
International Context: The developments come as lawmakers worldwide move to address deepfake sexual content. In the United States, the Senate recently passed a bill aimed at giving victims legal recourse against creators of deepfake pornography.
What to Watch: Authorities in Indonesia will continue to evaluate X Corp's technical fixes and policy enforcement. If safeguards fail to prevent further misuse, regulators have signaled they will reimpose restrictions to protect the public, particularly children.
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