By Rebecca Ratcliffe
Publication Date: 2026-01-18 09:39:00
DAfter Malaysia made global headlines by announcing it would temporarily ban Grok for its ability to generate “grossly offensive and non-consensually manipulated images,” the generative AI tool was happily chatting with accounts registered in the country.
“Still here! The DNS block in Malaysia is pretty easy – easy to bypass with a VPN or DNS tweak,” Grok’s account on X responded to a user’s question.
Grok’s ability to allow users to create sexually explicit images, including of children, has led to a global outcry in recent weeks, and regulators and politicians around the world have launched investigations. Indonesia and Malaysia were the first two countries to announce technology bans. The Malaysian regulator announced last Sunday that it had ordered “a temporary restriction” on access to Grok, set to take effect on January 11, 2026. Officials in the Philippines have said they also plan to ban the technology.
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