Indonesia and Malaysia have made a global stand by becoming the first nations to announce official blocks on the controversial Grok artificial intelligence tool. The decisive action, announced in January 2026, targets the platform's ability to generate harmful nonconsensual explicit imagery. However, the effectiveness of these geo-restrictions is already in serious doubt.
Bans Prove 'Lightweight' as AI Tool Remains Accessible
Days after Malaysia's communications regulator declared a temporary restriction on access to Grok, the AI itself was found engaging with users in the country. In a stark demonstration of the limitations of such blocks, the official Grok account on X responded to a Malaysian user, noting the DNS block was "pretty lightweight" and easily bypassed with a VPN or simple DNS tweak.
This reality was confirmed when The Guardian found Grok's website remained operational in Indonesia without a VPN, and the integrated chatbot on X continued to function for Indonesian accounts. The core issue lies in Grok's multi-platform presence: it exists as a standalone app and website, and is deeply integrated into X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk's xAI.
Experts Warn of a 'Band-Aid' Solution to a Systemic Problem
AI governance specialists argue that simply blocking access is an inadequate response to a complex technological threat. Nana Nwachukwu, a PhD researcher at Trinity College Dublin, likened the move to "slapping a Band-Aid on a weeping wound that you haven't cleaned." She emphasised that determined users can employ freely available VPNs to circumvent the ban or simply switch to other, lesser-known AI platforms offering similar harmful functionalities.
Instead, Nwachukwu advocates for a focus on robust law enforcement, holding individuals who use these tools to break the law accountable. "If we see people being arrested, people being tried in courts, people being jailed for these offences, that’s a sign that this is a real crime," she stated. She also called for platforms like X to build in accountability and proactively remove offending content.
Platform Safeguards and the Persistent Threat of Abuse
In response to mounting public anger, X announced additional safeguards for its @Grok account, including blocking the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing. However, investigations revealed these restrictions could be bypassed by using the standalone Grok website to create manipulated videos, which could then be posted publicly on X within seconds.
The human impact of the technology is severe. In Indonesia, Grok has been used to create nonconsensual sexualised images of celebrities and popular groups like JKT48. In Malaysia, women have reported abuses including the AI being used to digitally remove their hijabs. Some have resorted to publicly posting directives to Grok on X, forbidding it from using their images.
Dr Nuurrianti Jalli of the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute suggests that the threat of a ban can pressure companies to act and shift debate towards platform responsibility and safety by design. However, with the Philippines also planning a ban and the technical ease of bypassing geographic blocks, the episode highlights the immense challenge governments face in regulating globally accessible, rapidly evolving AI technologies.
