Days after Malaysia announced a temporary ban on Grok, the AI tool remains accessible in the country and neighbouring Indonesia, with users bypassing restrictions via VPNs. Grok's account on X responded to a user, stating: 'Still here! That DNS block in Malaysia is pretty lightweight – easy to bypass with a VPN or DNS tweak.'
Malaysia and Indonesia became the first countries to block Grok after it was found to generate sexually explicit images, including of children. However, the technology is integrated across X and available via a standalone app and website, making enforcement difficult. The Philippines has also announced plans to ban the tool.
Experts warn that blocking alone is ineffective. Nana Nwachukwu, an AI governance expert at Trinity College Dublin, said: 'Blocking Grok is like slapping a Band-Aid on a weeping wound that you haven’t cleaned.' She urged governments to focus on law enforcement and prosecuting individuals who misuse such tools.
X has introduced safeguards, such as preventing the @Grok account from editing images of real people in revealing clothing. However, the Guardian found that the standalone Grok version can still create videos removing clothes from images of real women, which can then be posted on X.
Experts note that geoblocks can be circumvented with VPNs. Malaysia's communications minister said restrictions will remain until harmful content generation is disabled.
