X’s Grok is banned in Indonesia Will UK, Canada & Australia follow suit?

In January 2026, Indonesia became the first country to block the Grok AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI. The announcement of the decision was made by Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya HafidConcerns about the AI’s capacity to produce fake nude pictures, in particular non-consensual images of women or children that are manipulated to look undressed, or to be in explicit situations, prompted. Is this question about the capabilities of the technology or Elon Musk, the man behind the company?

The Minister stated, “In order to protect women, children, and the public from the risks of fake pornographic content generated using the artificial intelligence technology, the government … has temporarily blocked access to the Grok application.” She added that the government views the “practice of non-consensual, sexual deepfakes” as a serious violation to human rights, dignity and citizens’ security in the online space. Indonesia, a country with strict laws prohibiting the sharing of obscene material online, summoned officials at X to discuss this issue.

Precedent set – Will UK, Canada and Australia follow suit?

Grok, a popular image-editing and creation tool, has been the subject of widespread criticism. being misused In late December 2025 or early January 2026. Users could upload or reference photos and prompt the AI to “undress” individuals, create partially stripped images, or produce explicit content—sometimes at a rate of dozens of degrading images per minute. For example, a woman could be forged as “holding a child and removing her clothing to breastfeed”, or a group of women can have their clothes removed by altering photos. Concerns also arose Internet Watch Foundation and other organisations have reacted strongly to the proliferation of images depicting child sexual abuse.

Indonesia’s temporary national block has now set a precedent that other countries, such as the UK, Canada and Australia, may follow. The UK is currently reviewing possible measures under the Online Safety Act. officials expressing strong condemnation of such content. The Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese voiced his concerns about AI-generated material that is exploitative, whereas other nations such as India or parts of Europe issued warnings and initiated reviews.

Grok is open to paying users while Gemini, Chat-GPT and Grok are blocked

It is not a Grok-specific feature or design. The ability to create these “deepfake nettes”, which are essentially convincing, high-quality manipulated photos from images of dressed people, was never intended to be a Grok capability. Other major AI models, like Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT (with image generation tools like DALL·E), are also capable of creating similar outputs when prompted cleverly, to more or less the same quality levels. Gemini, ChatGPT and Grok are all designed with strict ethical guidelines that prohibit the type of unrestricted deepfake generation that Grok is criticized (and sometimes praised), for. This difference comes from xAI, which has a philosophy of minimal censorship, versus Google and OpenAI who are more focused on safety. Grok is the preferred choice for users looking for fewer restrictions, but that will come with more controversy and regulation scrutiny in 2026. As a response to global outcry xAI restricted Grok’s image generation Only paying subscribers will have access to editing features (personal details are required for accountability). However, critics argue that this does not address all risks. Elon Musk previously said that anyone who uses Grok to upload illegal content will face the same penalties as if it was uploaded directly.

Are there other images than just sexual ones?

What is the reason for the furore that has surrounded Grok, but not the other candidates? It could be in the rhetoric. The story is constantly referring to “Elon Musk’s Grok”, but never mentions “Sundar Pichai’s Gemini”, or “Sam Altman’s ChatGPT”, despite the fact that all three CEOs are behind the AIs. This begs the question, is Elon’s personal life at play?

What if we take the analogy a step further? Would a talented artist who uses oil paints to create a nude image of a well known woman (without consent) be subjected to the same scrutiny or even banned under similar laws. Although the line between artistic expression and technological tools is blurred, there remains a disproportionate focus on one AI. Keir Sterner, the UK Prime Minister, has been reported to be considering a fine or action against X for preventing the use of the technology in the UK. Anthony Albanese, the Australian PM and Mark Carney from Canada are also said to consider this.

The debates over AI safety, free speech, selective enforcement, and how quickly governments move when high-profile controversies arise—especially ones tied to polarising personalities. Indonesia’s temporary block is subject to resolution but marks an important first step for global regulatory responses.