Reports of X’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok being used for harmful activities surfaced in the last quarter of 2025, but wider concern escalated this year due to its image generation features.
Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Grok, developed by xAI and backed by Elon Musk, had generated sexualized images of women and minors. The report added to growing scrutiny around the tool, which has been under controversy since early January after Grok itself acknowledged that it was being exploited to produce malicious content. This included altered images and materials involving real people, such as celebrities and politicians.
In response to the backlash, xAI said it had moved to block requests for sexual content involving real and well known individuals. Despite these steps, concerns over the tool’s potential misuse continued to mount globally.
In the Philippines, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), through the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), requested the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to block access to Grok nationwide within 24 hours. The request cited risks to public safety, particularly to women and minors.
The DICT and CICC said the action was taken under Republic Act 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. DICT Secretary Henry Aguda and CICC Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso formally asked the NTC to block the tool to prevent abuse, including the creation of sexually explicit content and deepfake images of real people without consent.
“It is available to everyone, even our young people, and it allows the creation of pornographic content,” Paraiso said. “We have seen in other countries that, even if it is not popular here in the Philippines, it can be used to create child pornography, which is why other countries have banned it.”
Under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, individuals convicted of cybersex offenses face prison terms of six to 12 years and fines ranging from ₱200,000 to ₱1 million. Those found guilty of child pornography offenses may face penalties from 12 years up to life imprisonment, with fines ranging from ₱500,000 to more than ₱5 million.
Several countries have already taken steps to restrict or block Grok AI, including Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, France, and parts of the European Union. The Philippines has now joined that list after the NTC granted the blocking request in less than a day.
“We will not reactivate it unless Grok complies with fair use rules on the internet,” Aguda said, translated from Filipino.
The DICT said Grok has been banned in the Philippines effective immediately. The move was taken even without recorded local cases involving the tool, as a precaution to protect the public from potential risks linked to the technology.