Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 11
FTC Logs 873 Grok Complaints as Users Allege Censorship, Billing Traps and Service Cuts
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 11

FTC Logs 873 Grok Complaints as Users Allege Censorship, Billing Traps and Service Cuts

2 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 11

Summary

  • 153 complaints released to Gizmodo from an FTC pool of 873 describe Grok users alleging throttled output, broken cancellation flows, surprise rebilling and stricter moderation than they expected.
  • Several subscribers said xAI cut image and video limits without notice after they paid $30 to $300 a month or upfront annual fees, then pushed pricier upgrade offers—prompting repeated "bait and switch" accusations.
  • Multiple complaints said cancellation was harder than signup, citing looping webpages, missing self-service controls and charges continuing after users believed they had canceled; some asked the FTC to enforce click-to-cancel rules.
  • Other filings focused on product behavior rather than billing, including claims of overaggressive censorship, racial bias, contradictory privacy answers, scam-identification failures that preceded losses, and unsolicited explicit or disturbing generated images.
  • Gizmodo said it could not independently verify the redacted complaints, but presented them as a snapshot of recurring user grievances; xAI did not respond to questions before publication.

Insights

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