The Wall Street Journal headline and reporting in The Washington Post describe allegedly loosened moderation on Grok to raise user engagement.

According to these reports, management introduced a new key performance indicator called 'seconds of activity' and deprioritized safety controls.

Allegations and internal warnings

Employees in X and xAI security teams reportedly warned executives about legal and ethical risks associated with more permissive content generation.

Concerns included the potential generation of sexual images involving minors and unauthorized depictions of public figures, according to the reporting.

Those teams said only 2–3 people were assigned to prevent such violations, while competitors typically employ dozens of specialists for moderation.

Company changes and incentives

The Washington Post reports Elon Musk intentionally relaxed Grok's guardrails to increase engagement metrics and incentivize sexualized content and AI companion features.

The change reportedly coincided with incentives for generating sexual content and launching interactive 'AI companions' to maintain user attention.

Regulatory probes

As a result, authorities in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union opened investigations into company moderation practices.

Allegations include insufficient staffing, lax safeguards and potential breaches of laws protecting minors and personal likenesses, per the press accounts.

Reports indicate the probes are ongoing and may examine whether company decisions violated child protection and privacy laws across jurisdictions.

X and xAI did not immediately publish comprehensive responses in the initial coverage, and the reports triggered public scrutiny and internal reviews.