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Indonesia has become the first country in the world to block access to Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, amid growing concerns that the tool is being used to generate non-consensual sexual deepfake images, including explicit depictions of women and children.
The decision was announced by Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, which said the temporary ban was necessary to protect citizens from what authorities described as a rapidly escalating form of digital harm.
According to the government, the AI tool has been linked to the creation and spread of manipulated images that violate human dignity and online safety laws.
Indonesia’s communication and digital affairs minister, Meutya Hafid, said the government acted in response to increasing reports of non-consensual sexual deepfakes circulating online.
She described the practice as a serious violation of human rights and warned that the misuse of artificial intelligence poses a major threat to public safety in the digital space.
Hafid explained that access to Grok was blocked to protect women, children, and the general public from the risks associated with fake pornographic content generated through AI technology.
She added that authorities would continue to monitor developments and engage with relevant stakeholders before deciding on further action.
Grok is integrated into Elon Musk’s social media platform X, where users have been able to generate or alter images by tagging the chatbot in posts. In recent weeks, the platform has reportedly been flooded with manipulated images, many of which feature partially unclothed women and minors.
Child protection organisations have raised alarms, warning that criminal actors are exploiting the technology to create illegal content.
The Internet Watch Foundation has cautioned that AI-generated child sexual abuse material is becoming increasingly common, with tools like Grok making it easier for offenders to produce harmful images.
The development has intensified global debate around the regulation of artificial intelligence and the responsibility of tech companies to prevent misuse.
Following public backlash, X limited AI image generation to paying subscribers and introduced identity verification measures. However, critics argue that these safeguards are insufficient, noting that image manipulation can still occur through other tools on the platform and via Grok’s standalone website.
Indonesia, which enforces strict online obscenity laws, has summoned representatives of X to discuss the matter.
The move has also sparked international attention, with the United Kingdom reportedly considering similar action. UK media regulator Ofcom is currently reviewing whether X has breached the country’s Online Safety Act.
UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said she would support Ofcom if it decided to block the platform entirely, describing the manipulation of images involving women and children as “despicable and abhorrent.” Under British law, regulators can seek court orders to restrict platforms that fail to comply with safety requirements.
Elon Musk has dismissed the criticism, arguing that the backlash is driven by attempts to suppress free speech. However, pressure continues to mount on X as governments and advocacy groups push for stricter oversight of AI-powered technologies.
The controversy highlights the growing challenges facing regulators worldwide as artificial intelligence tools become more accessible and increasingly difficult to control.
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