KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysia on Sunday, January 11, temporarily blocked access to Grok, joining a growing list of countries taking action after the generative artificial intelligence chatbot sparked a global backlash by allowing users to create and publish sexualized images.

xAI, the Elon Musk-led firm behind Grok, on Thursday said it would restrict image generation and editing to paying subscribers as it addressed lapses that allowed users on X to produce sexualized content of others, often without consent.

On Saturday, Indonesia became the first country to temporarily deny access to the bot.

In a statement on Sunday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said it would restrict access to Grok following repeated misuse of the tool “to generate obscene, sexually explicit, indecent, grossly offensive, and non-consensual manipulated images, including content involving women and minors.”

MCMC said it issued notices to X and xAI this month to demand the implementation of effective technical and moderation safeguards, but the received responses relied primarily on user-initiated reporting mechanisms and failed to address the risks posed by the design and operation of the AI tools.

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

xAI replied to a Reuters email seeking comment with what seemed to be an automated response: “Legacy Media Lies.” X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

MCMC said access to Grok would be restricted until effective safeguards were implemented, adding that it was open to engaging with the firms.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has strict laws governing online content, including a ban on obscene and pornographic materials. It has put internet companies under greater scrutiny in recent years in response to what it calls a rise in harmful content. Malaysia is considering barring users younger than 16 from accessing social media. – Rappler.com