DICT blocks Grok chatbot in PH amid AI ‘nudifying’ crackdown

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Jan. 16 has moved to suspend domestic access to artificial intelligence (AI) platform Grok, framing that it posed risks to public safety, particularly through its use in generating nonconsensual and sexually explicit deepfake content involving women and minors.

The directive, issued by DICT Secretary Henry Aguda with Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) Executive Director Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso, called on the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to block access to the platform within 24 hours.

This marks the Philippines becoming the third country to block the generative AI tool, following Southeast Asian neighbors Malaysia and Indonesia amid similar content‑safety concerns just this year and reinforcing calls for regulatory oversight of the platform.

According to DICT Secretary Aguda, their agency received complaints that Grok violated the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009, which bans the production or manufacture of any form of child pornography.

“Wala kaming magagawa kasi maraming na na-violate na batas. ‘Yung AI nagagamit nila for child pornography. Hindi na kami pwedeng magpatumpik-tumpik diyan. Dapat i-block na namin kaagad,” he said in a radio interview.

Aguda was also firm that access to Grok will remain suspended until the platform complies with the country’s internet fair use policies and regulatory standards.

The AI tool, developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI and integrated into the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), allows users to generate and edit images.

Since its peak in recent months, concerned agencies flagged its misuse after users were able to alter photographs of real individuals, including minors, producing sexualized images without consent.

Under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, it is illegal to intentionally create, manage, or promote sexually explicit content through computers or online platforms, especially when done for gain or benefit.

For CICC chief Paraiso, the platform’s “easy” accessibility poses a heightened risk in the Philippines, since minors could easily access the service.

“Available siya sa lahat, even ‘yung mga kabataan natin, naa-access siya,” Paraiso said, warning that such features enable the creation and spread of nonconsensual and illegal explicit materials.

Following the blockage, the DICT confirmed that X, the platform owner of Grok, has formally reached out to Philippine authorities and proposed measures and safeguards “for the protection of women and children.”

“The government expects concrete, enforceable actions—not just assurances—to ensure AI technologies are never used to enable abuse, exploitation, or harm,” the DICT said in a statement.

As of publication, Grok remains inaccessible in the Philippines.