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If you've been keeping up with the news, you'll know things have been tense between Malaysia and X, all because of Grok
On 11 January, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) decided to restrict access to Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot.
Users were allegedly using Grok to create deepfakes and explicit images that violate Malaysian law, prompting the government to consider legal action.
Yesterday, 21 January, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil met with X's Asia-Pacific representatives in Putrajaya for a discussion.
Here are three key takeaways from that session:
1. Grok will behave properly in the future
During the meeting, X confirmed that Grok has been properly adjusted. This means the AI can no longer be misused to generate or edit harmful, pornographic, or inappropriate material, according to Bernama.
Previously, users found ways to bypass the rules to create "non-consensual" images, but Fahmi confirmed these features have now been disabled.
X is essentially putting Grok through a "rehab" phase to ensure it complies with national laws.
2. A promise for a safer Internet
It wasn't just about the AI. X has committed to being a better "Internet citizen" in Malaysia, agreeing to work more closely with the Communications Ministry and MCMC under the Safe Internet Campaign.
The aim is to make the platform safer for everyone, especially families and children.
Fahmi told the media that he sees a "strong commitment" from X's management to clean up its act.
3. The 50% takedown rate and the Parliament update
Fahmi also shared that current data shows X complies with only about 50% of content takedown requests from MCMC. He described this as "moderate", according to The Sun. In other words, there's still plenty of room for improvement.
"While the number is not high compared with some other platforms, it does not mean there are no issues," Fahmi said.
To maintain transparency, Fahmi is heading to Parliament today, 22 January to provide more details during the Minister's Question Time.
Is the ban on Grok being lifted?
While the meeting was positive, the temporary ban on Grok has not yet been officially lifted. The government wants to see tangible proof that safeguards are working before users can access Grok without a VPN.
Ultimately, it's a win for user safety, even if it means waiting a bit longer for the AI features to return.
