Philippines Blocks Grok AI Website Amid Rising Global Backlash
Philippines blocks Grok’s website over explicit AI content, joining regional crackdowns as governments pressure xAI and X for safeguards.
The Philippine government has moved to block access to the website of Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI, as concerns intensify worldwide over the misuse of generative AI to create explicit and sexualized images.
Authorities in the Philippines say the decision was driven by growing alarm over the chatbot’s ability to generate pornographic content, including material involving minors. Renato Paraiso, head of the country’s Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, said the government wants Grok to “take away the capability of that app to generate pornographic content, especially child pornography.” He added that officials are preparing to engage directly with representatives of social media platform X, which hosts Grok, to address the issue.
Despite the website-level ban, Grok remains accessible through X, highlighting a key challenge for regulators. “That’s the challenge for us,” Paraiso said, explaining that the government’s current enforcement powers are limited to blocking standalone websites rather than services embedded within social platforms.
xAI has previously stated that it is disabling the ability for users to create sexualized images of real people using Grok. However, scrutiny around the chatbot has continued to mount following reports of explicit AI-generated images circulating online, sparking public outrage and regulatory action in multiple countries.
X did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the Philippine government’s move or whether formal discussions have begun. When asked to comment on the ban, Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI responded with the message “Legacy Media Lies.”
Philippine Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda confirmed that the government is actively seeking dialogue with X. He said officials will be meeting with the company “on how to solve the problem.” Aguda also noted that internet service providers had already been instructed to begin blocking access to the Grok website, following an order issued by the government a day earlier.
The Philippines is not alone in taking action. Its decision follows similar moves by Indonesia and Malaysia, both of which restricted access to Grok over the past weekend. Indonesian authorities described their temporary ban as a measure aimed at protecting “women, children, and the entire community from the risk of fake pornographic content generated using artificial intelligence technology.”
Malaysia has gone a step further, announcing plans to pursue legal action against X and xAI, accusing the companies of failing to adequately safeguard users from harmful AI-generated material.
The growing backlash underscores increasing global unease about the rapid spread of generative AI tools and their potential for abuse. Governments across Asia are now grappling with how to balance innovation with public safety, particularly when it comes to protecting vulnerable groups from non-consensual and explicit digital content.
As talks between Philippine officials and X loom, the outcome could shape how countries regulate AI systems embedded within global social media platforms, setting an important precedent for the future of AI governance.
