A court has ordered an access ban on the X account of Grok, the generative AI tool developed by the platform, citing national security and public order concerns, according to Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD), a platform monitoring online censorship in Turkey.
The ruling was issued under Article 8/A of Law No. 5651, which allows for content restrictions to protect national security and public order, İFÖD reported. This is a common justification in Turkey for access bans. The name of the court has not yet been disclosed.
At the time of publication, the order had not been enforced by X, and Grok’s account remained accessible from within Turkey.
The ban has the potential to affect how users interact with Grok. Many users mention Grok in their posts to request responses on various topics. Although the chatbot integrated within the X platform is not affected by the ban, direct interactions with Grok via posts would be restricted if the Grok account is witheld.
Turkey blocked record number of web addresses in 2024, surpassing 300,000
Previous ban order not implemented
Turkish prosecutors launched an investigation into Grok in July after the AI tool had engaged in profane conversations, including content involving President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic. The incident stemmed from a temporary change to Grok’s content filters, which removed restrictions on politically sensitive topics. The adjustment was later reversed.
As part of the investigation, a ban order was issued on Grok but it was not implemented.
In a separate ruling on Jul 9, the Ankara 7th Penal Judgeship of Peace had ordered the blocking of 50 posts shared from Grok’s X account. That decision also cited the protection of national security and public order.
Some of the posts were removed by X, while others were made inaccessible within Turkey. (VK)
