PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) says it is pursuing legal action against X (formerly Twitter) and xAI LLC over the companies' failure to address user safety concerns regarding the Grok Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot.
"This action concerns their failure to ensure user safety in Malaysia in relation to the use of Grok. Solicitors have been appointed, and legal proceedings will be commenced shortly," the agency says in a media statement issued today.
This comes after MCMC blocked Grok over its repeated misuse in the creation and dissemination of harmful content, including "obscene, sexually explicit, indecent, grossly offensive, and non-consensual manipulated images".
It further states that such content involving women and minors is a serious concern, as it contravenes Malaysian law and undermines the entities' stated safety commitments.
Notices ordering the removal of the offending content were issued to X Corp and xAI LLC last week, on Jan 3 and Jan 8, with "no remedial action" taken.
"X Corp and xAI LLC may be held liable notwithstanding that the content was generated by users. They retain control over Grok’s design, deployment, moderation mechanisms, and risk-mitigation measures. Liability cannot be disclaimed where systemic safeguards have failed," the MCMC statement says.
The agency notes that the failure of X Corp and xAI in enforcing their own policies and internal controls may have facilitated unlawful online activities in Malaysia.
"MCMC remains committed to upholding Malaysian law and protecting the public interest. All digital platforms operating in or affecting Malaysia must comply fully with applicable legal and regulatory requirements," it says.
