French authorities have intensified their investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X, raiding its Paris offices and summoning Musk for questioning over accusations of generating illegal sexual deepfakes and antisemitic content through the company’s AI chatbot, Grok.
The raid, carried out early Tuesday, was led by France’s National Gendarmerie cybercrime unit with support from French police and Europol officials. Prosecutors said the operation was part of a criminal investigation that began in January 2025 and later expanded following complaints that Grok had been used to generate sexually explicit deepfakes, including content involving minors, as well as posts denying the Holocaust.
Musk And Yaccarino Summoned For Voluntary Interviews
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that Elon Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino have been summoned for voluntary interviews scheduled for the week of April 20. Additional X employees are also expected to be questioned as witnesses between April 20 and April 24.
“The investigation concerns a range of suspected criminal offences linked to the functioning and use of the platform, including the dissemination of illegal content and other forms of online criminal activity,” Europol officials said.
“The voluntary interviews with the executives should allow them to present their position on the facts and, where applicable, the compliance measures envisaged,” added Laure Beccuau, the public prosecutor of Paris.
“At this stage, the investigation is being conducted in a constructive manner, with the aim of ultimately ensuring that platform X complies with French law, insofar as it operates on national territory.”
It remains unclear whether French authorities have the power to compel Musk or other executives to appear if they decline to comply with the summons.
Seven Criminal Offenses Under Investigation
According to French cybercrime prosecutors, the investigation covers seven potential criminal offenses, including:
- Complicity in the possession of child pornography images of minors
- Complicity in the organized distribution, offering, or making available of child pornography images of minors
- Violations related to the creation and dissemination of sexual deepfakes
- Holocaust denial and hate speech
- Fraudulent extraction of data
- Tampering with automated data-processing systems
- Operating an illegal online platform as part of an organized criminal enterprise
The probe also revisits earlier concerns over X’s alleged algorithmic bias and alleged misuse of user data on the platform.
X Rejects Allegations, Calls It A “Political Attack”
X has strongly criticized the investigation and described the raid as a “politically motivated criminal investigation.” Its Global Government Affairs account has accused French authorities of staging “an abusive act of law enforcement theater.”
Musk echoed the criticism, writing on X that the action amounted to a “political attack.” Former CEO Linda Yaccarino also accused French prosecutors of pursuing a political vendetta against American companies.
X has denied all wrongdoing and says it maintains zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and illegal content.
Wider European And International Scrutiny
The French probe comes amid growing international scrutiny of X and Grok. The European Commission, UK regulators, and U.S. authorities are all investigating the platform over alleged failures to prevent non-consensual sexual imagery and potential misuse of personal data, and to comply with online safety and data protection laws.
Tensions Over Online Regulation Intensify
France has emerged as one of the strongest advocates for tougher oversight of large online platforms, arguing that companies like X have failed to address illegal content, disinformation, and hate speech adequately. Musk, meanwhile, has repeatedly warned that aggressive regulation threatens free expression.
As investigations multiply across Europe and beyond, X and its AI tools now face one of their most serious legal challenges yet, highlighting the growing global debate over how artificial intelligence and social media platforms should be governed.
