Indonesia lets Elon Musk's Grok resume, lifting ban over sexualized images

Indonesia has allowed Elon Musk's Grok chatbot to resume services, lifting a ban over sexualised images on the app, after X Corp committed to improving compliance with the country's laws, according to a government statement.

Indonesia suspended Grok from operating in the Southeast Asian nation three weeks ago, citing the risk of AI-generated pornographic content, becoming the first country to deny access to the AI tool.

The statement from the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, seen by Reuters on Sunday, said the government was processing the resumption of access on "a conditional basis and under strict supervision".

X and xAI, which operates Grok, did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment outside business hours.

Governments and regulators from Europe to Asia have condemned sexualised content generated by Grok and some have opened inquiries.

"The normalisation of access to Grok services is being carried out conditionally after X Corp submitted a written commitment containing concrete steps for service improvement and prevention of abuse. This commitment is the basis for evaluation, not the end of the supervision process," senior ministry official Alexander Sabar said in the statement.

He added that X had implemented a number of "layered" measures to address the misuse of Grok services, and that these would be continuously verified.

-Dewi Kurniawati in Jakarta; Editing by William Mallard/Reuters