Grok seeks reprieve after Phl ban

An affiliate of xAI, the company behind Grok, has reached out to authorities to seek a possible resolution following the platform’s ban in the country, according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

At a media briefing on Friday, DICT Secretary Henry R. Aguda said discussions are being arranged with regulators to explore a way forward after the National Telecommunications Commission blocked Grok due to concerns over its harmful effects, particularly on children.

“Some of you may be waiting for news about Grok. So, about Grok AI—I won’t go into what it can do anymore, because I’ve already attended several press conferences, and other countries have shown the kinds of harm Grok AI can cause. So the next question is: after we block Grok AI, what’s next?” Aguda said.

“The latest update is that an affiliate of the group has already reached out to me. By the way, xAI is a sister company of SpaceX. They’ve reached out and are setting up a meeting to provide a potential solution and a way forward,” he added.

Grok AI has been under scrutiny since early January after it acknowledged its system was being exploited to generate malicious content involving real people, including celebrities and politicians.

In response, xAI, Grok’s developer, founded by Elon Musk, blocked requests for sexual content involving real and prominent individuals.

Citing national cybersecurity risks, several countries—including Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, France, the European Union, and the Philippines—have taken action against Grok AI.

Locally, the request to block the tool was approved in less than 24 hours.

Aguda, however, stressed that the government is not opposed to innovation but must act when there is a clear basis for intervention.

“We don’t want to block innovation. We don’t want to stifle or hinder progress. But when there is a basis—and it’s not just us, because other agencies are monitoring harmful effects, especially on children—we have to act,” he said but added that the DICT remains open to dialogue with technology firms.

Under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, those convicted of cybersex offenses face six to 12 years in prison and fines of P200,000 to P1 million.

In comparison, child pornography offenses carry penalties ranging from 12 years to life imprisonment and fines of P500,000 to over P5 million.