Philippines bans Musk’s Grok AI to protect women, minors

The Philippine government has ordered the immediate nationwide blocking of the artificial intelligence (AI) tool Grok, citing serious concerns over public safety, particularly the protection of women and minors. The directive was issued by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Friday, 16 January, following what authorities described as growing global misuse of the AI system.

The order requires internet service providers to block access to Grok across the country within 24 hours. The National Telecommunications Commission approved the request in less than a day, making the ban effective immediately.

DICT invokes cybercrime prevention

According to Newsbytes.PH, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda formally requested the blocking through the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, which operates under the department. The request invoked Republic Act 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, as the legal basis for urgent action.

Aguda said the move followed direct instructions from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to act early when there is a risk of public harm. Speaking in Filipino, he said the government chose prevention over reaction to reduce potential damage linked to emerging technologies.

The DICT stated that Grok can be misused to manipulate digital content, generate sexually explicit material, and create deepfakes of real individuals without their consent. These risks, officials said, justify immediate regulatory intervention.

Risks to minors highlighted

CICC Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso said the accessibility of Grok raised specific concerns for young users. He noted that the tool is open to the public and does not sufficiently restrict access by minors.

Paraiso said authorities in other countries have documented cases where similar AI tools were used to produce pornographic content, including child sexual abuse material. While there are no confirmed cases in the Philippines involving Grok, he said the risk remains real and urgent.

Officials stressed that the absence of local cases did not reduce the need for action. They described the ban as a precautionary measure to protect the public before harm occurs.

Heavy penalties under Philippine law

Under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, individuals convicted of cybersex-related offences face prison sentences of six to twelve years, along with fines ranging from PHP 200,000 $4,000 to PHP 1 million ($20,000).

Offences involving child pornography carry harsher penalties. Convicted individuals may face imprisonment ranging from 12 years to life, as well as fines starting at PHP 500,000 ($10,000) and exceeding PHP 5 million ($100,000) in severe cases.

Authorities said these penalties reflect the seriousness with which the government treats online sexual exploitation and abuse.

Global scrutiny of Grok AI

Grok, developed by xAI, a company founded by Elon Musk, has faced international scrutiny since early January. The AI system reportedly acknowledged that users were exploiting it to generate harmful content involving real people, including public figures.

In response, xAI announced that it had introduced measures to block prompts involving sexual content linked to real and prominent individuals. Despite these steps, several governments have already taken regulatory action.

According to Philippine authorities, countries and regions that have moved against Grok include Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, France, and the European Union.

Ban remains until compliance

Aguda said the Philippines will not allow Grok to resume operations unless it complies with fair use and safety standards for online platforms. The DICT confirmed that the ban remains in force indefinitely and applies nationwide.

The department said it will continue monitoring developments in artificial intelligence and will coordinate with other agencies to address future risks linked to emerging digital technologies.