JAKARTA: Indonesia suspended Elon Musk&#39;s AI chatbot Grok on Saturday over concerns about AI-generated pornographic content, the country&#39;s communication and digital affairs minister said.&nbsp;Grok has faced a global backlash after it emerged that its image creation feature allowed users to sexualize pictures of women and children using simple text prompts.&nbsp;Indonesia is the first country to deny all access to the tool, which has been restricted to paying subscribers elsewhere following the backlash.&nbsp;&quot;In order to protect women, children, and the public from the risks of fake pornographic content generated using the artificial intelligence technology, the government has temporarily blocked access to the Grok application,&quot; Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement.&nbsp;&quot;The government views non-consensual deep fake practices as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space.&quot;&nbsp;The ministry has also summoned representatives from the social media platform X to seek clarification on the issue.&nbsp;According to AFP journalists in Jakarta, the Grok X account was still active and replying to queries, including in Bahasa Indonesia, on Saturday evening.&nbsp;Musk-owned startup xAI, which developed Grok, was not immediately available for comment.&nbsp;European officials and tech campaigners slammed the move to limit Grok&#39;s features to paying subscribers, saying it failed to address concerns about sexually explicit deep fake content.&nbsp;Musk said last week in response to a post about the explicit images that anyone using Grok to &quot;make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.&quot;

Artificial Intelligence

Indonesia has blocked Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok over concerns it enables pornographic deepfake content involving women and children. The government called it a human rights violation and has summoned platform X for clarification.

Indonesia suspends Musk's Grok AI over pornographic content: Minister

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Indonesia formally signed a package of seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at expanding cooperation across trade, health, education, ICT, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and other key sectors, state-run news agency APP reported on Tuesday.&nbsp;The signing ceremony took place at the PM House, with Shehbaz Sharif and visiting Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in attendance.&nbsp;Under the new agreements, both countries committed to strengthening bilateral trade and rebalancing trade flows &mdash; currently estimated at around US$4.5 billion &mdash; by boosting Pakistani exports (especially in agriculture and IT) and reducing import dependence on limited categories, such as palm oil.&nbsp;Pakistan offered to send doctors, dentists, and other medical experts to Indonesia to help meet its growing demand for qualified medical professionals.&nbsp;In addition, the leaders committed to promoting educational collaboration, including mutual recognition of higher-education degrees and certification of academic credentials under the framework between Indonesia&rsquo;s Ministry of Higher Education and Pakistan&rsquo;s Higher Education Commission.&nbsp;They also agreed to boost cooperation in information technology, SMEs, and halal trade certification to support entrepreneurs, small business growth, and trade in the halal industry between the two countries.&nbsp;At the joint press stakeout, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recalled that Pakistan and Indonesia have shared friendly and fraternal relations for over 75 years, dating back to pre-Independence support for Indonesia&rsquo;s freedom struggle. He emphasized that these new agreements are expected to further elevate bilateral relations to &ldquo;new heights.&rdquo;&nbsp;President Prabowo Subianto described the outcome of the talks as &ldquo;productive,&rdquo; welcoming Pakistan&rsquo;s support in health and education, and reiterated Indonesia&rsquo;s readiness to expedite the practical implementation of all agreed MoUs.&nbsp;The renewed push for cooperation comes amid a broader regional context, with both countries underscoring their commitment to deepening ties in trade, technology, human resources, and mutual capacity-building, a move that could strengthen economic links and foster greater people-to-people exchange across South and Southeast Asia. CDF Munir meets&nbsp;Indonesian president&nbsp;Separately, Pakistan&rsquo;s Chief of Defense Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, called on&nbsp;Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The discussions focused on regional security and&nbsp;strengthening bilateral military ties, according to a statement from Inter-Services Public Relations, the military&#39;s media wing. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation in training, counter-terrorism, and capacity-building. President Subianto praised the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces and acknowledged Pakistan&rsquo;s role in supporting regional peace. Munir said Pakistan values its longstanding relationship with Indonesia and seeks deeper defense engagement.

Foreign Affairs

The two countries also agree to strengthen bilateral trade and rebalance trade flows, by boosting Pakistani exports, and reducing import-dependency on limited categories such as palm oil.

Islamabad, Jakarta agree to boost bilateral trade; collaborate in IT, health, education

PADANG: Indonesian and Thai authorities raced on Sunday to clear debris and find hundreds of missing people as the death toll from devastating floods and landslides across Southeast Asia topped 600.&nbsp;Heavy monsoon rain overwhelmed swaths of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia this week, leaving thousands of people stranded without shelter or critical supplies.&nbsp;At least two areas of Indonesia&#39;s worst-affected Sumatra island were still unreachable on Sunday, and authorities said they had deployed two warships from Jakarta to deliver aid.&nbsp;Central Tapanuli and Sibolga city &quot;require full attention due to being isolated&quot;, National Disaster agency head Suharyanto said in a statement, adding that the ships were expected in Sibolga on Monday.&nbsp;The death toll in Indonesia rose to 442, while 402 were still missing, according to a tally published on Sunday by the disaster authority.&nbsp;It said at least 646 people had been injured.&nbsp;In Sungai Nyalo village, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from West Sumatra&#39;s capital Padang, floodwaters had mostly receded on Sunday, leaving homes, vehicles and crops coated in thick grey mud.&nbsp;Authorities had not yet begun clearing roads, residents told AFP, and no outside assistance had arrived.&nbsp;&quot;Most villagers chose to stay; they didn&#39;t want to leave their houses behind,&quot; said Idris, 55, who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.&nbsp;Across the island towards the north coast, an endangered Sumatran elephant lay buried in thick mud and debris near damaged buildings in Meureudu town.&nbsp;&nbsp;Public criticismIn Thailand, where at least 162 people were killed in one of the worst floods in a decade, authorities continued to deliver aid and clear the damage.&nbsp;Relief measures rolled out by the Thai government include compensation of up to two million baht ($62,000) for households that lost family members.&nbsp;However, there has been growing public criticism of Thailand&#39;s flood response, and two local officials have been suspended over their alleged failures.&nbsp;Two people were killed in Malaysia after floods left stretches of northern Perlis state underwater.&nbsp;The annual monsoon season, typically between June and September, often brings heavy rain, triggering landslides and flash floods.&nbsp;A tropical storm has exacerbated conditions, and the tolls in Indonesia and Thailand rank among the highest in floods in those countries in recent years.&nbsp;Climate change has affected storm patterns, including the duration and intensity of the season, leading to heavier rainfall, flash flooding and stronger wind gusts.

Asia

Deadly monsoon floods and landslides across Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia have killed over 600 people, left hundreds missing, isolated communities, and drawn criticism of disaster responses, with climate change worsening storm intensity and rainfall.

Indonesia, Thailand race to find missing as flooding toll tops 600

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Indonesia on Wednesday concluded their joint military exercise, Shaheen Strike-II, with a core focus on counterterrorism operations, the military&rsquo;s media wing said.&nbsp;According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), combat teams from both the Pakistan Army and the Indonesian Army participated in the exercise and &ldquo;successfully achieved all training objectives.&quot; ISPR noted that &ldquo;troops from both nations showcased high levels of professionalism and operational excellence,&rdquo; underscoring the value of the engagement.&nbsp;The exercise concentrated on improving counterterrorism drills, procedures, and operational techniques, with a specific emphasis on fighting in built-up areas and countering improvised explosive devices, the statement added.&nbsp;Pakistan and Indonesia also used the opportunity to further strengthen their longstanding military-to-military cooperation, reinforcing bilateral defense ties and enhancing mutual readiness to tackle emerging security challenges.&nbsp;The closing ceremony was attended by a Pakistani General Officer as the Chief Guest, while the Indonesian side was represented by senior military officials, according to ISPR.

Security

Pakistan and Indonesia completed the Shaheen Strike-II military exercise, focusing on counterterrorism. Both armies achieved all training goals, improved tactics, and strengthened defense cooperation.

Pakistan, Indonesia conclude joint drills to boost counterterrorism cooperation

JAKARTA: A volcano erupted overnight on an Indonesian island, authorities said Wednesday, spewing a massive ash column into the sky as the highest alert level was declared. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores island erupted late Tuesday and again at 01:35 am (1735 GMT), sending volcanic materials 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) above its 1,584-meter-high peak, the national volcanology agency said in a statement. Warning issued&nbsp;There was no immediate word of any casualties or damage, but authorities warned residents and tourists on the eastern Indonesian island to keep away from the area, preparing for possible evacuations. Geology agency head Muhammad Wafid said it had raised the volcano&#39;s alert level to the highest late Tuesday, after detecting an increase in deep quakes that often precede an explosive eruption. Airport operations&nbsp;Wafid said the towering column of ash from the eruption could &quot;disrupt airport operations and flight paths if it spreads&quot; further. Authorities have already suspended operations at a local airport in the town of Maumere, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Lewotobi, the airport said on Instagram. The geology agency said residents near rivers should also remain on alert for hazardous floods of volcanic material known as lahar if heavy rain occurs. &lsquo;Ring of Fire&rsquo;In July, the same volcano spewed a colossal 18-kilometer (11-mile) tower of ash, forcing the cancellation of 24 flights at the international airport on the resort island of Bali. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, is situated on the Pacific &quot;Ring of Fire&quot;, an arc of intense and frequent seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores island erupted late Tuesday; there was no immediate word of any casualties or damage; authorities have already suspended operations at a local airport in the town of Maumere. 

Indonesia volcano erupts, operations suspended at local airport 

JAKARTA: Indonesia&#39;s government has suspended the operating licence of video-sharing app TikTok because the platform refused to share data about recent anti-government protests, the ministry of communication and digital affairs said on Friday.&nbsp;Indonesia has the second biggest audience on TikTok, owned by China&#39;s Bytedance, with more than 100 million users.&nbsp;The ministry said it had &quot;temporarily suspended&quot; the app&#39;s operating licence for failing to provide adequate data on its live feature&#39;s activities during anti-government protests in August.&nbsp;&quot;This step is a form of the government&#39;s firmness after TikTok only provided partial data,&quot; Alexander Sabar, director general of digital space supervision, said in the statement.&nbsp;The government asked TikTok for traffic and other data related to &quot;the alleged monetization&quot; of live activities from accounts suspected of online gambling.&nbsp;The ministry said TikTok was given until September 23 to submit data but failed to do so.&nbsp;TikTok said it respects the laws of the markets it operates in.&nbsp;A spokesperson said in a statement that TikTok was working closely with the ministry &quot; while remaining committed to safeguarding user privacy and ensuring that our platform provides a safe and responsible experience for the community in Indonesia&quot;.&nbsp;The platform&#39;s live feature was still available on Friday evening.&nbsp;TikTok has faced a series of challenges in operating in Indonesia.&nbsp;The video-sharing app temporarily suspended its live feature in August because of violent protests after the death of a man hit by a police vehicle.&nbsp;On Monday, Indonesia&#39;s antitrust agency fined TikTok $900,000 for failing to notify regulators in time about its acquisition of e-commerce platform Tokopedia.&nbsp;Its e-commerce feature was also suspended by the government in 2023 after it moved to help small businesses.&nbsp;It then bought a 75 percent stake in Tokopedia, Indonesia&#39;s largest ecommerce platform, bringing together their shopping arms.

Indonesia suspended TikTok’s licence for refusing protest-related data. TikTok faces ongoing regulatory challenges, including fines, ecommerce restrictions, and scrutiny despite its 100 million users.

Indonesia suspends TikTok licence over failure to share data

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">INDONESIA: &nbsp;Health workers on wheels are part of the regional government&rsquo;s latest efforts to curb a deadly measles outbreak on Madura Island that has persisted for the past nine months. More than 2,600 children have already been infected this year, and 20 have died. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But efforts to stop the outbreak from spreading through the predominantly Muslim population are being hindered in part by concerns that some measles vaccines may not meet Islamic halal standards because they use a stabilizer that is derived from pigs. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pork-derived gelatin is widely used as a stabilizer to ensure vaccines remain safe and effective during storage and transport, presenting a dilemma to religious communities that view pigs as ritually unclean.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many Islamic scholars argue that vaccines containing gelatin stabilizers can be used under Islamic law, as can other medical products with pig-derived ingredients, provided certain conditions are met. Many others, however, disagree with this approach. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Indonesian religious leaders ruled in 2018 that vaccines with pig gelatin are haram, or forbidden, but advised Muslims that they can be used until other shots are available &ldquo;for the benefit of society,&rdquo; said Ahmad Syamsuri, the head of Disease Control and Prevention at the Sumenep Health Office. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Religious concerns drive vaccine hesitancy for some<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Sumenep, many are reluctant even to discuss their religious concerns. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pujiati Wahyuni, a 31-year-old Muslim mother and nurse, knows parents who refuse the vaccines for their children on religious grounds, though she recently had her daughter receive the vaccine at an Islamic kindergarten in Pamolokan village. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;Yes, there are some. Islam is a big religion. Maybe some Muslim people just do not want to get vaccinated, and it is not just now, but since they were born,&rdquo; Wahyuni said. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The regional government&rsquo;s latest efforts began in August and include making more than 78,000 vaccines available to children in the region, which are distributed through local clinics, delivered directly to the residents at their homes, and even brought to schools. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The hope is that the campaign will help prevent future outbreaks, infections, and deaths. But they cannot compel reluctant parents, said Musthafa, the general secretary of the Indonesian Ulema Council in Sumenep. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;We have high hopes for Muslims in Indonesia, who are the ones consuming it. Let us ask the government, in this case the Health Office and the Ministry of Health, to find a halal vaccine,&rdquo; said Musthafa. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Indonesia, the world&rsquo;s largest Muslim-majority nation, has reported previous outbreaks of measles, driven mainly by gaps in vaccination coverage. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2018, a major outbreak of the highly infectious disease occurred in the easternmost province of Papua, causing dozens of deaths. Due to some vaccine hesitancy, the Indonesian Ulema Council stated that the measles-rubella vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India, contained an ingredient derived from pigs; however, it allowed its use until a halal alternative was available. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vaccination rates are falling<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Globally, the World Health Organization reports that 84% of children received the first dose of the measles vaccine last year, and 76% had received two doses. But experts say measles vaccine rates need to reach 95% to prevent outbreaks. WHO noted that 60 countries reported significant measles outbreaks last year. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Measles vaccination rates in Indonesia fell below the country&#39;s targets in 2023, according to data from the Ministry of Health. In 2023, measles-rubella vaccinations reached 86.6% of the target, and in 2024, the number fell to 82.3%. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From May to July &mdash; the peak of the outbreak in Sumenep &mdash; isolation rooms at regional hospitals were full as staff treated over a hundred measles cases daily. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At an Islamic kindergarten in Pamolokan village, the head of the community health center met the students&rsquo; mothers before vaccines were administered and urged them to protect their children by reducing the spread of measles in Indonesia. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite her hesitation over the vaccine&rsquo;s ingredients, Ayu Resa Etika, 28, from Kebunan village, finally allowed her 2-year-old son to get his delayed second dose after seeing many local children hospitalized with measles. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;There is a little doubt because it is not halal. But despite all that, this is for the sake of the child&rsquo;s health,&rdquo; Etika said. &ldquo;The effects are quite extraordinary; it can cause death. I am afraid that if my son is not vaccinated against measles, that is the risk. So it&rsquo;s OK, as long as the effects are good.&rdquo;

A measles outbreak on Madura Island in Indonesia has infected over 2,600 children and killed 20 this year, with vaccine hesitancy fueled by halal concerns. Authorities push mass vaccination, while religious leaders urge halal alternatives.

Halal concerns drive vaccine hesitancy as Indonesia fights measles outbreak

Reuters

People carrying their belongings wade through a flooded street

Flash floods and landslides in Bali killed at least 18 people and left two missing, disrupting roads and airport access. Experts blame weak urban planning, while authorities deny land conversion as a cause.

Articles tagged with "Indonesia"

Indonesia suspends Musk's Grok AI over pornographic content: Minister

Islamabad, Jakarta agree to boost bilateral trade; collaborate in IT, health, education

Indonesia, Thailand race to find missing as flooding toll tops 600

Pakistan, Indonesia conclude joint drills to boost counterterrorism cooperation

Indonesia volcano erupts, operations suspended at local airport

Indonesia suspends TikTok licence over failure to share data

Halal concerns drive vaccine hesitancy as Indonesia fights measles outbreak

Waters recede in Bali after floods kill 18 people, with two still missing

Indonesia suspends Musk's Grok AI over pornographic content: Minister