French judicial authorities have taken decisive action against Elon Musk’s social media platform X, conducting searches at its Paris offices and summoning both Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino for questioning. The investigation, now expanded from its initial focus on political interference, encompasses serious allegations regarding X’s AI chatbot Grok generating sexualized deepfakes of women and children and disseminating Holocaust denial content.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that Musk and Yaccarino have been called for voluntary interviews scheduled for April 20, 2026, regarding their management roles during the period under investigation. The probe, initiated in January 2025, involves collaboration with Europol and examines multiple criminal offenses including complicity in possessing child sexual abuse material and denial of crimes against humanity.
This French action coincides with parallel investigations launched by both British and European Union authorities. Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office announced separate probes into whether X and Musk’s xAI complied with data protection laws regarding Grok’s deepfake generation capabilities. The EU has similarly initiated proceedings concerning the creation of sexualized artificial imagery of minors.
The investigation originated from complaints filed in early 2025, including one from French lawmaker Eric Bothorel of President Macron’s party, who alleged Musk’s personal interventions had reduced viewpoint diversity on the platform. Musk had previously drawn European criticism for his vocal support of Germany’s far-right AfD party.
X has consistently denied all allegations, with its French director Laurent Buanec maintaining in January 2025 that the platform had “strict, clear and public rules” against hate speech and disinformation. The company characterized the investigation as “politically motivated” and received backing from the United States, which condemned what it called “acts of foreign censorship” against American free speech rights.