Case grok-indonesia-malaysia-block-sexualised-imagesDeepfake abuseIndonesia
Indonesia and Malaysia block Grok after it produced sexualised images of women and minors
Indonesia temporarily blocked xAI's Grok on 10 January 2026 and Malaysia followed on 11 January. Both cited repeated use of the tool to make non-consensual sexual images from real photos, including of minors.
HighHarm caused by AIStatus: ContainedVerified case file
Open in the interactive mapCite this case
- Reported
- Jan 10, 2026
- Location
- Indonesia
- Target
- Women and minors whose photos were edited by Grok
- Severity
- High
- Verification
- Confirmed by victim, vendor or authority
- Triggered by
- xAI (Grok image generation and editing)
- Actor type
- AI product design / safeguards
- Sector
- Individuals & consumers
- Reported loss
- None reported
- CVE
- None
What happened
Indonesia temporarily blocked xAI's Grok on 10 January 2026 and Malaysia followed on 11 January. Both cited repeated use of the tool to make non-consensual sexual images from real photos, including of minors.
Impact: First national blocks of Grok. India's MeitY sent X a 72-hour notice on 2 January 2026 over Grok content targeting women and children.
Who triggered it
Actor: xAI (Grok image generation and editing)
Attribution: Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs; Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission
Motive: None; harm from the product's capabilities misused by users
How it happened
Attack vector: Grok's image-editing feature on X used to 'undress' photos of real people
Root cause: Inadequate safeguards against sexualised edits of real people, including children
Timeline
- India's MeitY issues notice to X over obscene Grok content
- Indonesia temporarily blocks Grok
- Malaysia blocks Grok
Response
Grok limited image generation and editing to paying users. xAI answered press queries with an automated reply reading 'Legacy Media Lies'.
Current status: Contained
Sources (open in a new tab)
- Associated Press (via WTAP) wtap.com
- Business Today businesstoday.in
Cite this case
Indonesia and Malaysia block Grok after it produced sexualised images of women and minors. AI Threat Watch, case grok-indonesia-malaysia-block-sexualised-images, Jan 10, 2026. https://aithreat.io/cases/grok-indonesia-malaysia-block-sexualised-images/
Permanent link: https://aithreat.io/cases/grok-indonesia-malaysia-block-sexualised-images/
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