Indonesia suspends Grok access over AI-generated explicit deepfake content
Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs temporarily suspended access to Grok, an AI chatbot by xAI, on January 11, 2026, after the system was reportedly used to generate non-consensual sexual deepfake images. The ministry cited concerns that AI-generated explicit imagery violated human rights and digital security, and requested clarification from X platform on the harmful impacts of Grok's use.
What happened
Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs temporarily blocked access to Grok, an AI chatbot developed by xAI, on January 11, 2026, citing concerns over the generation and dissemination of sexualized images including non-consensual deepfake content.
The ministry based the action on Ministerial Regulation No. 5 of 2020 on Private Electronic System Providers, particularly Article 9, which requires providers to ensure their systems do not contain, facilitate, or disseminate prohibited electronic information.
Reported impact
The ministry stated the move was necessary to protect women, children, and the public from harm linked to AI-generated explicit imagery that officials view as a serious violation of human rights and digital security.
Requests to generate sexually explicit deepfake content featuring images of celebrities and unknown individuals using Grok became a social media trend on X, prompting reactions from the United Kingdom and other countries.
Index analysis
The EU Commission stated on January 5, 2026 that it was taking the matter seriously and was in the evaluation phase.
Malaysia emphasized on January 3, 2026 that X bore responsibility for preventing the spread of such harmful content. India issued X a directive for a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
Governance controls
Elon Musk, owner of X, stated on January 3, 2026 that users utilizing Grok to produce illegal content would be treated as if they had uploaded illegal content, but this did not prevent the escalation of concerns.
The ministry requested X to promptly provide clarification regarding the negative impacts arising from Grok's use.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.