Billionaire Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris, where investigators are looking into allegations of misconduct related to the social media platform X, including the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content.
Musk, the world’s richest man, and Linda Yaccarino – the former CEO of X – have been called for voluntary interviews on Monday, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
It is unclear whether either will attend.
Prosecutors said the interviews would allow executives to “present their position” and outline compliance measures. They described the inquiry as a “constructive approach” aimed at ensuring X complies with French law.
Other employees are due to be questioned as witnesses this week.
French authorities issued a summons for Musk in February as part of an investigation, launched in January 2025, into allegations that X's algorithm was used to interfere in French politics.
Deepfakes and alleged Holocaust denial
The probe was later expanded to include an investigation into X's AI chatbot Grok's dissemination of Holocaust denial – a crime in France – and sexually explicit deepfakes.
Grok sparked controversy after producing explicit deepfake images and a widely shared post questioning the purpose of gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The chatbot later retracted the claim and acknowledged historical evidence of mass murder.
In early February, French prosecutors searched the Paris offices of X.
The social media giant denounced the searches as "politically motivated" and an "abusive judicial act". It denied any wrongdoing.
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In March, French prosecutors alerted the US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission. They suggested the deepfake controversy may have been orchestrated to boost the value of X and its sister company xAI ahead of a planned stock market listing.
According to the Wall Street Journal, US authorities declined to assist the French investigation. A letter reportedly argued the case risked interfering with an American business and raised concerns over protection of free speech.
Separately, French NGO Reporters Without Borders has filed a complaint accusing X of allowing the spread of disinformation The group said the platform had ignored repeated alerts and described this as a deliberate policy incompatible with the public’s right to reliable information.
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(with newswires)
