French authorities on Tuesday raided the Paris offices of X and summoned its owner, Elon Musk, as part of a cybercrime investigation that has expanded to include allegations ranging from unlawful data extraction to complicity in serious criminal offences.
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office said the search followed an inquiry opened in January last year into suspected bias in X’s algorithms and fraudulent data extraction, which has since widened to examine the role of the platform and its AI chatbot, Grok, in the spread of illegal content.
The investigation now encompasses allegations including the possession and dissemination of child sexual abuse material, the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes, Holocaust denial, defamation of personal image, and manipulation of automated data processing systems.
Prosecutors said Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino were summoned for voluntary interviews scheduled for April 20, while other staff members were called to appear as witnesses during the same week.
“At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the aim of ultimately ensuring that the X platform complies with French laws, insofar as it operates on national territory,” the prosecutor’s office said.
French prosecutors said the inquiry is being conducted by the cybercrime division alongside national police units and Europol, reflecting a broader European focus on the platform’s operations.
The investigation was widened after complaints concerning Grok, with authorities assessing whether the AI tool contributed to the creation or spread of illegal material.
In a separate move, the prosecutor’s office announced it would cease posting updates on X, directing the public instead to LinkedIn and Instagram.
X has not commented on the raid or the summons, though it previously denied allegations of algorithm manipulation and unlawful data practices, characterising the probe as politically motivated.
The French action coincides with renewed scrutiny elsewhere in Europe.
In the United Kingdom, the Information Commissioner’s Office has opened a probe into Grok’s handling of personal data, working alongside Ofcom, which is continuing its own investigation into sexualised deepfakes generated by the tool.
At the European level, the European Commission is investigating X’s parent company, xAI, under the Digital Services Act, following concerns over explicit fake images involving women and minors.
The Commission said it remains in contact with French authorities, as pressure mounts across the continent on major social media platforms to comply with evolving digital safety laws.