TechCrunch Industry News Indonesia and Malaysia block Grok over non-consensual, sexualized deepfakes
Jan 12, 2026
Indonesia and Malaysia have taken bold action by blocking Grok, reacting to a surge of troubling sexualized AI-generated imagery. Authorities in both countries label these deepfakes as serious human-rights violations. Global responses vary, with regions like India, the EU, and the U.K. weighing in on the issue. Amidst this, Elon Musk comments on censorship while XAI issues an apology and implements changes to its product. The tension between tech and governance continues to unfold.
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Governments Escalate Over Deepfake Harms
- Indonesia and Malaysia temporarily blocked XAI's Grok over non-consensual sexualized deepfakes and potential child sexual abuse material.
- Multiple governments demanded action, signaling coordinated regulatory pressure on AI image tools.
Deepfakes Framed As Human Rights Issue
- Governments view non-consensual sexual deepfakes as violations of human rights, dignity, and citizen security.
- Officials have escalated to summonses and potential bans to protect vulnerable people.
Global Regulators Move In Unison
- Regulators worldwide are probing Grok: India ordered content controls and the EU asked XAI to retain documents.
- Ofcom and UK leadership signaled readiness to investigate, showing cross-jurisdictional scrutiny.