Malaysia Blocks Grok Over Non-Consensual AI Images

By Danial Martinus • 12 Jan 2026 in News

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As of 11 January 2026, Grok, the AI chatbot developed by social media platform X (formerly Twitter), has been temporarily blocked in Malaysia after users began abusing it to generate sexually explicit images of real people. Many of these pictures were created without consent, with some even involving minors.

This comes just one day after Indonesia did exactly the same thing, making the two Southeast Asian neighbours the first countries in the world to formally pull the plug on the controversial bot.

Zero safeguards in place

According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Grok has been repeatedly misused “to generate obscene, sexually explicit, indecent, grossly offensive, and non-consensual manipulated images, including content involving women and minors.”

Notices were reportedly issued to X and xAI demanding stronger safeguards, but their response leaned more towards user reports as opposed to actually fixing the problem at its core, which in this case would involve implementing official restrictions on Grok’s use.

“MCMC considers this insufficient to prevent harm or ensure legal compliance,” it said.

At the heart of the problem is the very disturbing reality that just about anyone can generate these non-consensual sexual deepfakes. And it can be done with just a few clicks and a simple prompt.

These images have flooded Elon Musk’s X, where users openly share AI-generated nudes of real people, sometimes “removing their clothes or positioning them in suggestive poses”. But that’s not to say all AI tools function the same way. In fact, most of them hard-ban this kind of output.

Grok, on the other hand, has a much looser approach, reflecting Musk’s supposed belief in maximal free speech. In practice however, Musk has been known to silence critics on his own platform, being very selective with what content users see on their feeds.

Following the backlash that sprouted from these AI deepfakes, xAI has restricted Grok’s image generation feature to premium subscribers.

Naturally, no one is impressed. Many world leaders, including British PM Keir Starmer, believe the move doesn’t come close to solving the problem, it merely puts it behind a paywall for people with more expendable income to use (and abuse).

Musk himself has warned that users who generate explicit images of children will face “consequences”, though xAI’s response to media queries are simply met with an automated reply that reads, “Legacy Media Lies.”

Not very reassuring for a company that claims it’s doing everything it can to protect the vulnerable against AI misuse.