DICT and xAI told hold discussions to lift ban vs Grok

The developer of Grok has reached out to the Philippine authorities.

File photo: DICT Secretary Henry Aguda during the Globe and Starlink partnership press briefing (left), Grok icon (right)

PH wants concrete plans to address the problem

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it will soon meet with officials of AI company xAI, developer of Grok, after access to the chatbot was blocked in the Philippines over sexually explicit deepfakes.

Update from DICT

Yung mga gumagamit sa into ng Grok, nakikipag-usap na po kami sa xAI,"DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said. I am rushing to be the first na malift yung ban nila.

The department also said in a social media post that X has reached out to the DICT, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), and National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in an effort to resolve issues surrounding its in-app AI Grok.

Earlier, the DICT ordered the takedown of Grok in the country due to lapses in regulating content. This is in accordance with the Cybercrime Prevention Act to safeguard the public from being exploited through Grok’s ability to "manipulate content, produce sexually explicit materials, and generate deepfakes of real individuals without their consent."

DICT said it is closely monitoring global actions against Grok AI, following serious concerns over its misuse in generating non-consensual, sexually explicit, and manipulated images, including deepfakes involving women and minors.

The department said it is coordinating with NTC, the CICC, and relevant authorities to assess possible regulatory measures under the law, particularly its provisions on content-related offenses and the State’s mandate to suppress the use of ICT for illegal acts.

We also confirm that X, the platform owner of Grok, has formally reached out to DICT Secretary Henry Aguda and is proposing corrective measures and stronger safeguards, especially for the protection of women and children, DICT said.

The government said it expects concrete, enforceable actions, not just assurances, to ensure AI technologies are never used to enable abuse, exploitation, or harm.

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Source: DICT FB page; Via: PNA