Indonesia has become the first country in the world to block the popular AI chatbot Grok, after warnings that the tool was being used to create harmful and sexual images. Grok is an artificial intelligence tool developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI, and it is connected to the social media platform X.
The block was announced on January 10, 2026, when Indonesia’s Communications and Digital Affairs Ministry said it was taking action to protect people. The government said that Grok had been generating AI-created sexual content that could harm users, including images that appeared to be non-consensual deepfakes.
A deepfake is an image or video that has been digitally changed to make it look real, even though it is not. In this case, Grok users were able to generate sexualised images of real people without their consent, which Indonesia’s government said was a serious violation of human rights and digital safety.
The government’s decision means that people in Indonesia can no longer access the Grok chatbot online for now. The block is meant to be temporary while officials investigate the issue and ask digital platforms to prove that they have proper safeguards in place to prevent harmful content.
Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement that the use of AI to create sexual deepfakes was a form of digital violence and needed to be stopped. The ministry has also called in officials from X, the platform that offers Grok, to explain what changes they are making to stop the harmful content.
In response to international criticism and safety concerns, xAI said it had already started limiting some features of Grok. The image creation and editing tools were restricted so that only paying users could use them while the company worked on improving safety protections.
Indonesia’s move comes as other countries also raise questions about how AI tools are used. Governments in Europe and Asia have criticised Grok and opened inquiries into whether it follows their laws on online protection and content safety. Some countries are even considering steps similar to Indonesia’s if the problems are not fixed.
The controversy highlights a growing global concern about how advanced AI systems can be misused. While AI can help people in learning, work, and creativity, it can also be used to create harmful or illegal content if not properly controlled. Indonesia’s action shows that governments are paying close attention to these risks and are willing to take strong steps to protect citizens digitally.
Experts say that the case could affect how other large AI tools operate around the world. As more governments look at regulating AI, companies that make these technologies may need to add stronger safety rules and better moderation to prevent misuse. That could include age checks, stricter content filters, and clearer user policies.
For now, the temporary block in Indonesia is a clear sign that digital safety is becoming a top priority for nations everywhere especially when it comes to powerful AI tools that can create realistic images and content at high speed and scale.