French investigators have searched the Paris offices of the social media company X in a widening cybercrime probe that now touches its recommendation systems, alleged data extraction and the spread of illegal content.
The search was carried out on Tuesday by the cybercrime unit of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, working with French National Police specialists and Europol.
Prosecutors said the inquiry remains preliminary and is aimed at enforcing French law on platforms operating in the country.
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According to the prosecutor’s statement, investigators are examining suspected offences including alleged complicity in possessing and distributing child sexual abuse images, the creation and circulation of sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and the manipulation of an automated data processing system by an organised group.
Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino have been asked to attend voluntary interviews on 20 April, with other staff also summoned as witnesses.
The prosecutor’s office said the investigation was “part of a constructive approach, with the aim of ultimately ensuring that the X platform complies with French laws”.
The case began in January 2025 after complaints that X’s algorithms were biased and may have distorted automated processing, including the content recommended to users.
It later broadened after complaints linked to X’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, amid concern about non-consensual sexual imagery and other unlawful material spreading on the platform.
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X hit back, framing the raid as politically driven and rejecting the allegations. X’s Global Government Affairs said in a statement: “We are disappointed by this development, but we are not surprised.”
The French action adds to a growing wave of scrutiny of Musk’s businesses and AI tools in Europe.
In Britain, the Information Commissioner’s Office has opened a separate investigation into the chatbot’s potential to generate harmful sexualised images, while Ofcom is assessing whether X has met legal duties to limit the spread of sexual deepfakes.
