The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) confirmed Friday, January 16, that X, the platform owner of Grok, has formally reached out to the Philippine government to propose corrective measures amid mounting concerns over the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) for deepfake abuse involving women and children.
In its statement, the DICT emphasized that verbal assurances from technology platforms would not suffice.
“We also confirm that X, the platform owner of Grok, has formally reached out to Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda and is proposing corrective measures and stronger safeguards, especially for the protection of women and children,” the agency said.
It added, however, that “the government expects concrete, enforceable actions, not just assurances, to ensure AI technologies are never used to enable abuse, exploitation, or harm.”
The engagement with X comes as the DICT monitors global actions against Grok following reports of its alleged misuse in producing non-consensual, sexually explicit, and manipulated images, including deepfakes involving women and minors.
Several countries have already blocked or launched investigations into the platform over possible violations of online safety, child protection, and human rights standards.
“In line with the government’s duty to safeguard Filipinos in digital spaces, DICT is coordinating with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), and relevant authorities to assess possible regulatory measures under Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, particularly its provisions on content-related offenses and the State’s mandate to suppress the use of ICT for illegal acts,” the agency stated.
The DICT underscored that discussions with X will be guided by the government’s policy that emerging technologies must not be allowed to facilitate harm, especially against vulnerable sectors.
It said it will continue working with partner agencies to evaluate appropriate actions and ensure stronger safeguards are in place to uphold the protection of women and children in the country’s digital environment.