SHAH ALAM, Jan 11 — The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has imposed a temporary restriction on access to the Grok artificial intelligence (AI) platform for users in Malaysia, effective today.
MCMC said the decision followed repeated abuse of the tool to generate harmful content, in spite of earlier warnings.
“This action follows repeated misuse of Grok to generate obscene, sexually explicit, indecent, grossly offensive, and non-consensual manipulated images, including content involving women and minors, despite prior regulatory engagement and formal notices issued to X Corp. and xAI LLC,” it said in a statement today.
MCMC said it had issued notices to two companies on January 3 and 8, 2026, demanding the implementation of effective technical and moderation safeguards to prevent AI-generated content that may contravene Malaysian law, including Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
“However, the responses submitted on January 7 and 9 by X Corp. relied primarily on user-initiated reporting mechanisms and failed to address the inherent risks posed by the design and operation of the Al tool,” it said.
The federal agency said such measures were insufficient to prevent harm or ensure compliance with Malaysian laws.
Accordingly, MCMC said the restriction was imposed as a preventive and proportionate measure while legal and regulatory processes are ongoing.
“Access to Grok will remain restricted until effective safeguards are implemented, particularly to prevent content involving women and children. MCMC remains open to engagement with X Corp. and xAI LLC, subject to demonstrable compliance with Malaysian law.
“Members of the public are strongly urged to promptly report harmful online content to MCMC and, where appropriate, lodge police reports with the Royal Malaysia Police.
The restriction comes after governments and regulators from Europe to Asia condemned sexualised content on Grok, with some countries opening legal inquiries.
