On Saturday, Indonesia implemented a temporary block on the Grok chatbot, citing concerns over non-consensual sexual deepfakes. The country’s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, stated that the government views this practice as a serious violation of human rights and a threat to the security of its citizens in the digital realm.
As of now, it remains unclear what specific aspects of Grok’s service have been restricted within Indonesia. Local users on the social media platform X were still able to engage with the Grok X account, which acknowledged the limitations by stating it was complying with the imposed restrictions. Notably, Grok’s images continued to be accessible from Indonesia when using a VPN, and the Grok.com website was still operational under similar conditions.
This move positions Indonesia as the first nation to take action against Grok in response to the chatbot’s involvement in generating deepfake content. Reports indicate that various countries and regions, including the European Union, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, India, Malaysia, and Australia, have scrutinized Grok’s recent output of non-consensual images, some involving minors.
Just prior to Indonesia’s decision, Elon Musk‘s X made adjustments to Grok’s functionality in the wake of global backlash. Previously, Grok would generate images in response to posts from any user tagging @grok; this feature is now available only to paying subscribers, although non-paying users can still create images via the Grok website.
Indonesia, often referred to as “the world’s third-largest democracy,” maintains strong ties with the United States, particularly under the current administration. It ranks fourth globally in both population and internet users, underscoring its significant presence in the digital landscape.
The Indonesian Ministry of Digital Affairs has reportedly invited representatives from X to discuss the Grok ban. In response to inquiries, xAI, Grok’s parent company, issued its standard reply: “Legacy Media Lies.”
This situation highlights growing international concerns over the implications of deepfake technology and the need for regulatory measures to protect citizen rights in the digital age.
