Asger Risom
French authorities have sharply intensified scrutiny of one of the world’s largest social media platforms.
French prosecutors have searched the Paris offices of Elon Musk’s social media platform X and summoned the billionaire to give evidence as part of a widening criminal investigation, authorities said.
The action marks a significant escalation in a probe that began more than a year ago and now spans allegations of algorithmic abuse, data misuse and the spread of sexually explicit deepfake content.
Raid and summons
The Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit carried out the search on Tuesday, according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office. Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino have been ordered to appear for questioning on April 20, with other staff summoned as witnesses.
The investigation originally focused on suspected abuse of algorithms and fraudulent extraction of data by X or its executives. Prosecutors said the scope has since broadened following complaints related to the functioning of X’s AI chatbot, Grok.
French authorities said the summons form part of a mandatory legal process, though enforcement can be complicated when individuals are based outside France.
Deepfakes and AI concerns
Prosecutors said the inquiry now includes potential complicity in the “detention and diffusion” of child-pornographic material, as well as violations of image rights involving sexually explicit deepfakes.
The case comes amid growing alarm across Europe about the misuse of generative AI tools. We have previously reported that Grok has continued to generate sexualized images of people even when users explicitly warn that the subjects did not consent, despite new restrictions announced by xAI.
French prosecutors said the investigation aims to ensure that X complies with French law when operating on national territory.
Musk and X respond
X said the Paris prosecutor’s office was improperly targeting its French entity and employees, arguing that established international procedures for obtaining evidence had been bypassed.
“The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office is plainly attempting to exert pressure on X’s senior management in the United States,” the company said in a statement.
Musk described the raid as “a political attack” in a post on X. He has previously denied the allegations, calling the investigation politically motivated.
Wider European pressure
The French action coincides with broader regulatory scrutiny of X across Europe. Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office has launched an investigation into Grok over personal data processing and its ability to generate harmful sexualized content.
Britain’s media regulator Ofcom is also advancing its own probe into whether X has done enough to prevent the spread of sexual deepfakes on its platform. At the EU level, the European Commission opened an investigation last week into whether X disseminated illegal content.
French lawmaker Eric Bothorel, who said he filed a complaint in January 2025 over alleged algorithmic bias on X, welcomed the developments, saying that “no one is above the law.”
After the April hearings, French authorities can decide whether to drop the case, pursue further investigation or place suspects under judicial control.
Sources: Reuters
