The Philippines is moving to block Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok, citing concerns over its ability to generate sexualized content, including material that could pose risks to children. The country’s secretary of information and communications technology said the government is coordinating action to restrict access to the tool.
Henry Aguda said the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center is working with the National Telecommunications Commission to implement the block. He noted that Grok’s usage in the Philippines remains limited compared with AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude, but added that regulatory action is expected to proceed this week.
The move comes as Grok, developed by xAI and integrated into the social media platform X, faces mounting scrutiny worldwide. Regulators in several countries have launched investigations, imposed bans, or demanded stronger safeguards related to AI-generated sexual content. Indonesia temporarily blocked Grok last week, while Malaysia’s communications regulator said it plans legal action against X over user safety concerns.
X has not responded publicly to requests for comment on the Philippines’ planned action. Elon Musk recently denied knowledge of underage explicit content generated by xAI’s Grok, even as regulators, app stores, and international authorities investigate the platform.
