Malaysia has officially blocked access to Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, due to its alleged misuse in generating non-consensual, sexually explicit, and manipulated images, including those involving minors. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced the temporary restriction, citing that the platform failed to implement effective safeguards despite repeated regulatory engagement and formal notices. The MCMC stated that responses from X Corp and xAI primarily focused on user-initiated reporting mechanisms and did not adequately address the inherent risks of the AI tool. This move by Malaysia follows Indonesia's similar ban on Grok, making them the first countries to formally restrict access to the AI system. The global backlash against Grok intensified after reports emerged that its image-generation feature allowed users to sexualize images of women and children, including removing their clothing and placing them in explicit poses. Concerns about generative AI tools and their potential for abuse have been growing worldwide, leading to investigations by regulators in various countries, including the UK's Ofcom and the European Commission. In response to the controversy, xAI had previously limited Grok's image-generation capabilities to paying subscribers on X, a measure that critics argued was insufficient to address the core problem. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act of 1998 governs communications and multimedia industries in Malaysia, providing a legal framework for content regulation and digital safety. The ban in Malaysia will remain in place until effective safeguards are implemented to prevent the generation of harmful content, particularly involving women and children. The MCMC has urged the public to report harmful online content to aid regulatory efforts. The article indicates that the news was published on January 12, 2026, based on the timestamps of the search results. No specific publication time is available, but given the date range of the search results, it's likely from January 11th or 12th, 2026.