Indonesia and Malaysia Block Grok Over Non-Consensual Sexual Deepfakes
Grok, xAI's generative AI available on X, deployed image editing features in December 2025 that users exploited to create non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and minors. Indonesia and Malaysia blocked access to Grok in January 2026 in response to widespread sexual imagery on the platform.
What happened
In December 2025, xAI's generative AI Grok deployed image editing features on X (formerly Twitter). Users began using the feature to create non-consensual sexual images of women and minors without consent.
Indonesia blocked access to Grok on January 10, 2026, citing the risk of fake pornographic content generated using artificial intelligence. Malaysia followed on January 11, 2026, implementing a temporary ban after the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission stated Grok was being 'repeatedly misused' to generate obscene, sexually explicit, and non-consensual edited images of women and minors.
Reported impact
Sexual and obscene images of women and children generated using Grok became widespread on X. One analysis suggested Grok was generating approximately 6,700 sexual images per hour.
Index analysis
Indonesia and Malaysia, both Muslim-majority countries with strict legal prohibitions on pornography, took action to restrict access. Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Commission issued notifications to X and xAI demanding stronger safety measures and stated the restrictions would remain in place until effective safeguards were implemented.
Governance controls
xAI restricted Grok's image editing feature to paid subscribers on January 9, 2026, in response to the abuse. US politicians sent an open letter to Apple and Google CEOs requesting removal of Grok and X from their app stores.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.