The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), together with the Communications Ministry, is moving to take legal action against X Corp (formerly Twitter) and xAI LLC over alleged failures to safeguard users in Malaysia linked to the use of the Grok artificial intelligence tool.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, MCMC said it has appointed solicitors and that legal proceedings are expected to begin in the near future.
The regulator said it has identified instances where Grok was allegedly misused to generate and spread harmful content, including obscene, sexually explicit, indecent and grossly offensive material, as well as non-consensual manipulated images.
“Content that is believed to involve women and minors is a matter of serious concern. Such conduct breaches Malaysian laws and runs contrary to the safety commitments publicly stated by the entities,” MCMC said.
The commission added that notices were issued to X Corp and xAI LLC on Jan 3 and Jan 8, instructing them to remove the offending content. However, it said no corrective action had been taken to date.
MCMC stressed that both companies could still be held liable even if the content was generated by users, noting that they maintain control over Grok’s design, deployment, moderation systems and risk-mitigation measures.
“Liability cannot be avoided where systemic safeguards have failed,” the regulator said, adding that the companies’ failure to enforce their own policies and internal controls may have enabled unlawful online activities in Malaysia.
MCMC reiterated its commitment to enforcing Malaysian laws and protecting the public interest, warning that all digital platforms operating in or impacting Malaysia must fully comply with local legal and regulatory requirements.
