Indonesia has become the first nation in the world to completely block access to Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI, amid escalating concerns over the misuse of AI to generate non-consensual sexualised images.

The Indonesian government said the move was prompted by reports that Grok’s image-generation feature allowed users to manipulate photos of women and children into sexually explicit or suggestive content using simple text prompts. Officials warned that such misuse poses serious psychological and social risks.

Announcing the decision, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said the suspension was intended to protect vulnerable groups. “The government views non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space,” she said.

Indonesia is the first country to impose a full nationwide ban on Grok, while other regions have opted for partial restrictions. Elsewhere, xAI has limited some of the chatbot’s features to paying subscribers following public backlash—a step criticised by European officials and digital rights groups as insufficient.

The ministry has also summoned representatives from social media platform X to seek clarification and demand concrete technical measures to prevent further misuse. Authorities said Grok’s future in Indonesia will depend on xAI’s willingness to implement strict content filters and comply with national laws.

Concerns surrounding Grok are spreading globally. In India, the government has warned X that failure to prevent AI-generated obscene and sexually explicit content could lead to legal action and loss of liability protections under existing IT laws.

In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “all options are on the table,” including a potential ban, as regulators assess the dangers posed by AI-generated deepfake content. In the United States, Senator Ted Cruz has also criticised the spread of explicit AI images, calling them “a serious threat to victims’ privacy and dignity.”

Responding to the controversy, Elon Musk said users who employ Grok to create illegal content would “face the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal material themselves.” However, xAI has provided limited details on additional safeguards.

As scrutiny of generative AI intensifies worldwide, Indonesia’s decisive action signals a growing global push to hold AI platforms accountable for preventing the creation and spread of harmful digital content.

10-01-2026