European Union | Regulatory Framework
Status: in effect
Effective: 2026-01-08
high EU Commission extends document retention order for X data on Grok (DSA)
European Commission order for X to retain internal documents and data relating to Grok until end-2026
I. Regulatory Summary
For platforms and AI vendors, the order requires immediate implementation of robust legal hold and e-discovery processes for AI feature documentation and logs. For counsel and advisors, this elevates short-term compliance work on retention, audit trails, and DSA systemic-risk documentation for GenAI features that can generate illegal content.
II. Full Description
On 8 January 2026, a European Commission spokesperson said the Commission had ordered X to retain all internal documents and data relating to Grok until the end of 2026, extending an earlier retention order. The measure is presented as an evidence-preservation step supporting the Commission’s ongoing assessment of X’s compliance with obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA).Sources: [{“name”: “Reuters”, “url”: “https://www.reuters.com/world/eu-commission-has-ordered-x-retain-all-grok-documents-until-end-2026-2026-01-08/”, “lang”: “en”}, {“name”: “The Verge”, “url”: “https://www.theverge.com/news/858573/europe-demands-x-retain-documents-amid-groks-undressing-spree”, “lang”: “en”}]
III. Scope & Application
The European Commission ordered X to retain all internal documents and data relating to its AI chatbot Grok until the end of 2026, as part of ongoing oversight under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The order is intended to preserve evidence for potential access during the Commission’s assessment of X’s compliance, amid concerns about unlawful and harmful AI-generated content.
IV. Policy Impact Assessment
For platforms and AI vendors, the order requires immediate implementation of robust legal hold and e-discovery processes for AI feature documentation and logs. For counsel and advisors, this elevates short-term compliance work on retention, audit trails, and DSA systemic-risk documentation for GenAI features that can generate illegal content.
Primary Focus: platform governance / DSA supervision (AI-generated illegal content)