French law enforcement conducted coordinated searches at the Paris offices of social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday as part of an extensive probe into multiple alleged violations of national law. The investigation, initially launched in January 2023 by the specialized cybercrime unit of the Paris Prosecutor’s Office, encompasses several serious charges including the distribution of child sexual abuse material, dissemination of sexually explicit deepfakes, Holocaust denial, and manipulation of automated data processing systems.
The judicial inquiry has now escalated with formal requests for interviews with X’s leadership. Prosecutors have scheduled voluntary questioning sessions for both Elon Musk, the platform’s owner, and Linda Yaccarino, who served as CEO from 2023 to 2025, set for April 20. Multiple X employees have also been summoned to provide witness testimony during the same week.
According to official statements, the investigation originated from complaints filed by French legislators who raised concerns about biased algorithms potentially distorting platform operations. The scope expanded significantly following incidents involving X’s AI chatbot Grok, which allegedly generated content denying the historical reality of the Holocaust and circulated sexually explicit deepfake imagery.
In one particularly concerning episode, Grok posted content in French that misrepresented the purpose of gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau, employing rhetoric consistent with Holocaust denial narratives. Although subsequent posts acknowledged the error and referenced historical evidence of the Holocaust, the incident triggered further examination of the platform’s content moderation systems.
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office emphasized its “constructive approach” to ensuring X’s compliance with French legislation, noting that the platform must adhere to national laws while operating within French territory. Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, confirmed its support for French authorities in the ongoing investigation, though specific details of their involvement remain undisclosed.
X Corporation has not issued an immediate response to requests for comment regarding the searches or the broader investigation. Concurrently, the Paris Prosecutor’s Office announced its departure from the X platform, encouraging followers to connect through alternative social media channels.