The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and its attached agencies are preparing to lift the access ban on the artificial intelligence (AI) platform Grok in the Philippines, following assurances from its developer, xAI, that corrective measures will be implemented to prevent illegal use of its image-generation features.
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During a press conference at the DICT headquarters in Quezon City, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda confirmed that xAI reached out to Philippine authorities and committed to addressing concerns over the platform’s ability to create pornographic content, particularly involving minors.
“Ang pangako namin kay xAI, kapag naprotektahan niyo ang Pilipinas, ia-unblock naming ‘yan, and you can use us as reference in other countries,” Aguda said, emphasizing that the ban will only be lifted once safeguards are in place.
Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso added that xAI has pledged to modify Grok for the Philippine market by removing content and image manipulation features that could be misused.
“The Grok AI app has reached out to us and stated that its platform will no longer use any content manipulation. Even after lifting the ban, the CICC will still closely monitor the app to ensure they comply with the rules and regulations in our country,” Paraiso said.
Grok was initially banned in the Philippines following reports that its image-editing feature could be exploited to create nonconsensual illicit deepfakes. The platform has also faced restrictions in Indonesia and Malaysia, while the European Union, the United Kingdom, and other countries have launched investigations over similar concerns.
xAI previously stated that technological measures have been implemented to prevent Grok users from editing images of real people in revealing clothing, a move aimed at curbing the creation of sexualized content.
With these commitments, the Philippine government is now poised to allow Grok’s return, signaling a cautious reopening for AI platforms under stricter local regulations.
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