Indonesia lifts ban on Musk-owned Grok chatbot under strict conditions

Indonesia has lifted the ban on Elon Musk-owned xAI chatbot, Grok, three weeks after it became the first country to block it over concerns regarding AI-generated sexual content.

The American technology company conveyed its commitment to improve safety measures, prompting Indonesian authorities to move forward with restoring access.

According to a senior official at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, Alexander Saber,, the ban on X Corp’s chatbot would be lifted on a conditional basis and under strict supervision.

He said, “X Corp has submitted a written commitment containing concrete steps for service improvement and prevention of abuse.”

X and xAI, the companies which operate Grok, were not immediately available for a comment.

Previously, Malaysia and the Philippines also banned the chatbot after it was used to create pornographic images of minors and other individuals. However, both countries later lifted the ban after X communicated its commitment to improving safety measures.

The tech giant has already limited the image editing tool for paid subscribers only after severe backlash over the feature’s misuse.

The United Kingdom’s media regulator Ofcom has also opened an investigation into X over its chatbot’s actions.

The company says it has implemented technological measures to prevent Grok from editing photos of real people to remove clothing or place them in revealing attire (such as bikinis or underwear).