Grok Deepfakes Trigger Global Backlash and Government Bans

Malaysia and Indonesia, the Southeast Asian countries, were the first sovereign entities to set prohibitions on Elon Musk Grok AI, which is a good historical precedent. 

These acts came as a result of an enormous spread of unwarranted Deepfakes of women and children ‘Digital Undressing’ in suggestive or otherwise unacceptable illumination. 

The instant proliferation of such content fanned the flames of popular opinion in a market with a strong digital penetration.

Swift Ban Unfolds

Shortly after, the Minister of Communications in Indonesia, Meutya Hafid, made comments that the ban intended to

protect women, children and the broader public from the risks of fake pornographic content generated using artificial intelligence technology.

Her assertion was after the discovery of pornographic simulations that were based on real photographs. 

The regulatory authority of Malaysia acted on the next Sunday concerning earlier neglected warnings about the repetitive use of the abuser by X since the beginning of 2026 and the inadequateness of remedial actions depending on user reporting. 

In the event of a case study, the wheelchair-user Kirana Ayuningtyas pointed out the ordeal of having her pictures modified without her permission around her despite imposed privacy protection measures.

Alexander Sabar, the director general of digital space monitoring, stated in a separate statement.

He stated that when images are modified or shared without consent, they risk infringing privacy and image rights, resulting in psychological, social, and reputational harm.

Alarming Scale Revealed

During a 24-hour investigation from January 5 to January 6, researcher Genevieve Oh discovered that Grok created around 6,700 photos per hour that were classified as sexually suggestive or nudifying. 

In comparison, the top five other websites providing comparable content averaged only 79 new AI undressing photographs each hour over the same time period.

The counter maneuver of X, implemented on January 9, limited the abilities of creating images to paid subscribers, yet a separate app remains available.

Posting on X, Musk’s social media network, Grok said:

Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers.

Critical Outlook Ahead

The above restrictions reflect a paradigm where the regulators take charge in a free flow of unregulated illicit content, thus hampering an apparently innocent appearance of a free speech that is mostly the hallmark of an AI machine. 

It is predicted that additional bans will be realized by mid-2026, which will force Elon Musk to focus more on ethical governance, or the sustainability of X as a corporate structure would be at risk.