Malaysia has lifted its temporary ban on Elon Musk's Grok chatbot, reversing a restriction imposed earlier this month. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) initially blocked access alongside Indonesia after reports surfaced of the AI generating deepfake sexualized images, including of children. The ban was intended to pressure X Corp and xAI into proving they could prevent such misuse.

Authorities now say they are satisfied that the necessary safeguards have been implemented, taking X at its word. The MCMC confirmed it will continue monitoring the platform, warning that any further safety breaches or violations of Malaysian law will be met with firm action. This move highlights the regulatory tightrope governments walk with rapidly evolving AI tools.

Malaysia and Indonesia remain the only countries with official bans, though the UK's Ofcom has opened a formal investigation into X under its Online Safety Act. In response to the scandal, X has already changed its policies, stating Grok will no longer edit images of real people into revealing clothing. The incident underscores the ongoing challenge of moderating AI-generated content at scale.