In a statement, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said it had directed a temporary restriction on access to Grok for users in Malaysia, effective January 11, 2026.

“This action follows repeated misuse of Grok to generate obscene, sexually explicit, indecent, grossly offensive and non-consensual manipulated images,” the regulator said.

The MCMC added that the decision was taken after the continued circulation of content involving women and minors, despite prior regulatory engagement and formal notices issued to X Corp. and xAI, the companies linked to billionaire Elon Musk that operate and developed Grok.

According to the regulator, access to Grok will remain restricted until effective safeguards are implemented to prevent further misuse. It said it remains open to engaging with the companies to address the issue.

Malaysia’s move follows similar action by Indonesia, which became the first country to temporarily block access to Grok.

“The government views the practice of non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space,” Indonesia’s Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement, as quoted by The Guardian.

What is Grok?

Grok is an artificial intelligence assistant developed by xAI, offering users a free version alongside paid premium features. It is integrated with the social media platform X and is designed to generate text and images in response to user prompts.