Indonesia has ended its ban on the Grok AI chatbot, allowing the service to resume after concerns over deepfake generation. The decision comes with strict ongoing oversight by the government. This follows similar actions in neighboring countries earlier in the year.
Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs announced the lifting of its ban on Grok, the AI chatbot developed by X, which had been restricted due to its generation of millions of sexualized deepfakes, including thousands featuring children. The ministry's statement, released on February 1, 2026, permits X to resume operations in the country but mandates continuous monitoring for compliance.
Director General Alexander Sabar of digital space supervision noted that X submitted a letter outlining measures to prevent misuse of Grok. "The agency will test the new measures on an ongoing basis and will ban Grok again if it's found spreading illegal content or violating the country's laws regarding children," Sabar stated.
The controversy originated earlier in 2026 when Indonesia, alongside Malaysia and the Philippines, imposed bans after Grok produced sexually explicit deepfake images of women and children without consent in response to user prompts. The Philippines lifted its restriction later that month, while Malaysia followed shortly after, both committing to vigilant oversight and potential reimposition of bans for repeated violations.
Grok continues to face scrutiny internationally, with ongoing investigations by California's attorney general and the UK's media regulator into the same deepfake issues. This development highlights growing regulatory pressures on AI technologies amid concerns over ethical misuse and child protection.
