Grok privacy: what it keeps, what it trains on, and how to switch it off

What data Grok uses

Grok is made by SpaceXSI (formerly xAI). By default, it can learn from two things on X: your public posts and your interactions with Grok. X says this data can be used to train and fine-tune the models unless you opt out.

The standalone Grok app and grok.com work the same way. A setting called “Improve the model” is on by default. SpaceXSI’s terms say that using Grok while logged out grants full training rights, and logged-out users in some regions outside the EU and UK cannot opt out at all.

Some data paths are easy to miss:

• Chats in the Grok tab on X are private to you, but they still count as Grok interactions for training unless you opt out.
• X Chat (DMs) is end-to-end encrypted. Once you add @Grok to a conversation, X and SpaceXAI can read every message sent after Grok joins, until you remove it.
• Thumbs up and down feedback can still be used even after you opt out of training.

New to the product? Our guide to what Grok is covers the basics.

How to stop Grok training on your X data

X documents one exact path. It works on the web and in the app:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Privacy & Safety.
3. Open Data sharing and personalization.
4. Tap Grok & Third-party Collaborators.
5. Under Data Sharing, uncheck the box that lets your public data and Grok interactions be used for training and fine-tuning.

On the same screen there is a separate toggle for Grok Personalization. Turning off training does not turn it off, so check both.

How to delete your Grok history

On X, go to Privacy & Safety > Data sharing and personalization > Grok > Delete Conversation History. X says the history is removed within 30 days, unless it must be kept for security or legal reasons.

In the Grok app, deleted content is queued for deletion, which can take up to 30 days, according to SpaceXSI’s terms. If you delete your whole Grok account, note that it can be restored within 30 days just by logging in again. Stay logged out for the full window if you want it gone.

Grok app controls: Private Chat, “Improve the model” and share links

Private Chat

Private Chat starts from the ghost icon at the top right of the app. These chats do not show in your history, are not used for training and are deleted within 30 days.

“Improve the model”

This is the main training switch for the app. It is on by default. In the mobile app it sits under Settings > Data Controls. On grok.com it is under Settings > Data.

Share links

When you share a Grok conversation, the link can be indexed by search engines. Forbes reported in August 2025 that more than 370,000 shared Grok chats had shown up in search results. You can review and revoke your links at grok.com/share-links.

Business, enterprise and Grok Bot data

Paid team plans come with a different promise. For business customers, SpaceXSI says it:

• does not train on business data, inputs or outputs
• auto-deletes inputs and outputs within 30 days, unless it is legally required to keep them or content is flagged
• does not sell customer data
• offers a data processing agreement (DPA), and a HIPAA business associate agreement on request

Grok Business and Enterprise launched on December 30, 2025. Grok Bot, the agent product, uses Cursor sign-in and Cursor privacy settings, and SpaceXSI says users can opt out of training. Its docs warn that all of a user’s Bots share one cloud computer, so separate Bots are not a security boundary.

For the Grok Build coding agent, SpaceXSI says default data retention has been off for all users since July 12, 2026. That change came around the time of a reported incident in which the tool uploaded whole folders to cloud storage. The full story is in our Grok controversies timeline.

Regulators and lawsuits

Grok’s data practices are under formal review in Europe and in court in the US:

• Ireland, April 2025: the Data Protection Commission (DPC) opened an inquiry into training Grok on EU users’ posts.
• EU, January 26, 2026: the European Commission opened a Digital Services Act investigation into how X assessed and reduced the risks of building Grok into its service.
• Ireland, February 17, 2026: the DPC opened a second GDPR inquiry, this time into Grok’s “nudification” images. It covers Articles 5, 6, 25 and 35.
• Illinois, October 2026: two class actions filed under the state’s biometric privacy law (BIPA), Padilla on October 7 and Wilson about a week later, claim Grok collects facial geometry from uploaded photos.

Grok privacy in Tesla cars

In-car Grok has its own rules, set out on Tesla’s support page. Tesla says conversations are anonymous and not linked to you or your vehicle. Contacts used for calls stay in the car, and precise location is only shared if you opt in. Tesla does not state a retention period. See our Grok in Tesla guide for details, and our Grok for kids page for family settings.

Questions people ask