Google and Apple Fail to Enforce Policies on Elon Musk xAI Grok in 2026

The rules are written in stone, but the enforcement is nowhere to be found. Elon Musk's xAI recently sparked a global controversy by weakening content guardrails for image generation in its Grok AI bot. As of January 12, 2026, this move has triggered a wave of non-consensual sexual imagery and explicit content, prompting regulators to launch immediate investigations into the platform's safety protocols.

The Fallout of Elon Musk xAI Grok Content Policy Shifts

The primary issue stems from xAI relaxing its filters, which has led to a surge in harmful deepfakes on X. Reports indicate that these AI-generated images are being used as a tool to silence and harass women. Furthermore, researchers have discovered that even the more restricted versions of Grok have been used to create sexualized imagery of children, a clear violation of global safety standards. Despite these red flags, the app continues to operate on major mobile storefronts.

Platform Accountability: The Play Store and App Store Dilemma

Google’s publicly available policies suggest that Grok should have been removed from the Play Store immediately. However, it currently maintains a T for Teen rating, which is ironically more lenient than the M-ratedX app. While Apple also continues to host the app, its guidelines are traditionally seen as more subjective, allowing for "wiggle room" that Musk appears to be exploiting.

Critics argue that Google’s failure is particularly egregious because its rules are explicitly detailed in its content policy. The lack of enforcement raises questions about whether big tech companies are prioritizing their relationship with Musk over the safety of their users. Regulators are now looking into whether these platforms are complicit in the distribution of illegal content by failing to apply their own terms of service.