Malaysia Raises Concerns Over Grok Misuse as Fahmi Meets X

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil is scheduled to meet representatives from social media platform X later this evening to discuss issues related to online safety, as well as the potential misuse of X’s artificial intelligence application, Grok. Speaking to local media, Fahmi said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) would be issuing a statement on the meeting later today. “However, I welcome X’s approach in managing the feedback it has received from multiple countries and governments. “They have also begun making some changes to Grok,” he said. On January 11, the MCMC ordered a temporary ban on access to Grok for users in Malaysia, which took effect on the same day. According to the commission, the action was taken following repeated misuse of the application to generate pornographic and explicit content, as well as the presence of obscene material and non-consensual manipulated images involving women and children, despite regulatory notices issued to X Corp and xAI LLC. On January 14, the MCMC was quoted as saying it was considering legal action against X Corp (formerly Twitter) and xAI LLC over their failure to ensure the safety of users in Malaysia in relation to the use of Grok. Separately, Fahmi had previously said that all social media platforms had begun discussions with the MCMC on proposals to limit social media use to users aged 16 and above. He said the discussions are currently focused on technical issues and the mechanisms required to implement the proposal, which remains under review.