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Indonesia lets Elon Musk’s Grok back online under tight supervision

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia allowed Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok to resume operations in the country on a conditional basis and under strict supervision, weeks after banning it for explicit sexual content.

Musk’s social platform X Corp made a written commitment to service improvements and compliance with applicable laws, the communications ministry said in a statement Sunday.

The company told the ministry it had taken steps to address the misuse of Grok services, including restricting access to certain features, according to the statement.

Indonesia and Malaysia were the first two countries that blocked access to Grok in January over concerns it was being misused to generate sexually explicit and nonconsensual images.

Malaysian authorities lifted the temporary restriction after the company took security and preventive measures. Malaysian regulators said they met last week with X’s representatives and would continue to monitor the situation.

The normalization of Grok’s operations in Indonesia was not unconditional, said Alexander Sabar, the ministry’s director general of digital space supervision. He added that the steps X claims to have taken will be verified and tested by Indonesian authorities to ensure they prevent violations, including the distribution of illegal content and violations of child protection principles.

“If inconsistencies or further violations are found in its implementation, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs will not hesitate to take corrective action, including suspending access to services again,” Sabar said.

Australian watchdog files legal action against Telegram, saying it failed to remove violent content

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s online safety watchdog has filed legal action against messaging app Telegram, saying the platform failed to remove extremist content including videos of white supremacist mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and the New Zealand city of Christchurch as well as Islamic State group beheadings. The United Arab Emirates-based app, which reports having 1 billion users worldwide, faces a fine of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars ($38 million) if convicted in the Australian Federal Court for “alleged failure to detect and remove pro-terror material,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Thursday. The civil action is a test of Australia's 2021 law requiring tech platforms to work to keep illegal and pro-terrorism material off their networks. Telegram denied the claims. “We reject these allegations and will contest them in court,” a spokesperson said in a written statement sent on Telegram.
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