09-07-2025
Turkey blocks Grok AI for ‘insulting' content
ANKARA - A Turkish court has blocked access to some content from Grok, the AI chatbot linked to the Elon Musk-owned X social media network, after authorities said it generated responses insulting President Erdogan, modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and religious values.
Concerns over political bias, hate speech and factual inaccuracy in AI chatbots have mounted since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, with Grok reportedly producing content accused of antisemitic tropes and praise for Adolf Hitler.
The Ankara chief prosecutor's office said on Wednesday that it had launched an investigation that led to Turkey's first such ban on content from an artificial intelligence tool.
Authorities cited violations of laws that make such insults a criminal offence punishable by up to four years in prison.
Neither X nor Musk could be reached immediately for comment. They have not referred to the decision on the platform.
Last month, Musk promised an upgrade to Grok, suggesting there was 'far too much garbage in any foundation model trained on uncorrected data'.
Grok, which is integrated into X, reportedly generated offensive content about Erdogan and Ataturk when asked certain questions in Turkish, media said.
The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) adopted the ban after the court order.
Yaman Akdeniz, a cyber law expert at Istanbul Bilgi University, said authorities had identified some 50 posts by Grok as the basis for the investigation, ruling on the access ban and removal of certain content to 'protect public order'.
'Turkey has become the first country to impose censorship on Grok,' he said on X.
Turkey has in recent years significantly increased oversight on social media platforms and online streaming services, passing laws to give authorities more control over content, detaining or arresting individuals for posts, launching probes into companies and limiting or blocking access to certain sites.
Critics say the law is frequently used to stifle dissent, while the government maintains it is necessary to protect the dignity of the office.
