SpaceX has open-sourced its Grok Build CLI tool following significant privacy concerns and data retention adjustments.Initially, the AI tool faced criticism for uploading users' entire repositories to Google Cloud storage without explicit consent.

In response to widespread backlash, Elon Musk and SpaceX pledged to delete all previously stored data, enhance user control over data handling, and ensure zero data retention (ZDR) by default.The company clarified that while ZDR was already applied to enterprise customers, it had been enabled by default for all users until July 12, 2026.This default retention was changed based on user feedback, and all retained data has since been deleted.

SpaceX emphasized that Grok Build now operates with a 'local-first' approach, allowing users to run the tool fully open-source and manage their own inference processes.

The open-source move aims to build trust through transparency, with SpaceX inviting researchers to audit the code and report security vulnerabilities via its bug bounty program.The tool's codebase, comprising 844,530 lines of Rust, includes remnants of previous cloud storage features that have been disabled.

Elon Musk also announced plans to open-source the entire X codebase in the future, further reinforcing SpaceX's commitment to privacy and security.