Malaysia lifts ban on Grok AI after X addresses safety concerns

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCM) informed on Friday, January 23, 2026, that Malaysia has restored Grok's access for its users after social media platform X implemented additional safety measures.

The news came just days after Malaysia, along with other major countries, had temporarily blocked access to Grok amid a global backlash against a feature of the artificial intelligence chatbot that allowed users to create and publish sexualized images of others.

The decision to lift restrictions on Grok AI came after the US platform X pledged to comply with Malaysian laws and introduce additional safety measures, local media outlet FMT reported.

The new verdict followed a meeting between Malaysia’s communications regulator and representatives of X, during which the company committed to strengthening preventive and safety mechanisms for its artificial intelligence tools, according to the report.

The regulator said in a statement, "User safety remains our priority, and any failure to comply with Malaysian laws will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the existing legal provisions."

Previously, Kuala Lumpur imposed temporary restrictions on Grok on January 11, 2026, following reports that the chatbot had been misused to generate obscene, sexually explicit, and non-consensual manipulated images, including content involving women and minors.

On January 15, 2026, Malaysian authorities said X would need to demonstrate that such misuse of Grok’s AI tools would no longer occur before the restrictions could be lifted.

Tech researchers informed that Grok generated an estimated three million sexualized images of women and children in a matter of days, researchers said on Thursday, revealing the scale of the explicit content that sparked a global outcry.

Malaysia last week threatened legal action against 'X' and 'xAI' if the platforms failed to take action.

Following the global outrage last week, X announced that it would “geoblock the ability” of all Grok and X users to create images of people in inappropriate attire in jurisdictions where such actions are illegal.

Additionally, Canada, Indonesia, and the Philippines also lifted the ban on Grok this week.