Indonesia has blocked Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot due to its generation of non-consensual sexual deepfake imagery, including pornographic depictions of women and children. This decision aims to protect citizens from escalating digital harm.
Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid stated that the government’s response addresses serious violations of human rights and security in the digital space. The temporary ban is intended to protect vulnerable populations from AI-generated pornographic content.
The move follows global concern about Grok’s integration into Musk’s social media platform, X, where users have produced manipulated images. The Internet Watch Foundation warned that criminals are exploiting these features to create child sexual abuse material.
In response to public outcry, X restricted AI image generation to paying subscribers, but critics argue these measures are inadequate. Indonesian authorities have summoned X representatives, while the UK government is also considering action under the Online Safety Act.
Musk dismissed the criticism, asserting that opponents seek to suppress free speech. X has committed to removing illegal content and banning accounts involved in creating such material.
