French authorities have raided X’s Paris offices as part of an expanding investigation into the platform’s content and Grok AI tool.
French investigators carried out a search on Tuesday at the Paris headquarters of social media platform X, as part of a widening judicial investigation into the platform’s content moderation and use of artificial intelligence.
The Paris public prosecutor’s office also confirmed that Elon Musk, who has owned the platform since 2022, has been formally summoned.
The operation was conducted at X’s French offices by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office, working alongside a specialised unit of the national gendarmerie and Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency.
The authorities confirmed the search in a brief statement published on X itself.
X – formerly known as Twitter – did not immediately respond to requests by French news agency AFP for comment
Last July, however, Musk had publicly criticised the French investigation, describing it as “politically motivated”.
US condemns French inquiry into Elon Musk's social media platform X
Investigation into Grok AI
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the investigation was initially opened following two reports received in January 2025.
Since then, it has been broadened after additional reports linked to Grok, the AI assistant developed and offered by X.
Grok is alleged to have contributed to the dissemination of illegal content, including Holocaust denial material and sexually explicit deepfakes. Prosecutors say these concerns prompted investigators to expand the scope of their inquiries.
As part of the next phase, summonses have been issued for voluntary interviews in Paris on 20 April 2026.
Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino, X’s chief executive, have both been called to give evidence about their respective roles in managing the platform at the time of the alleged offences.
X employees have also been summoned to appear as witnesses between 20 and 24 April 2026.
Prosecutors said the voluntary interviews would allow executives to present their account of events and, where appropriate, outline any compliance measures they intend to put in place.
A voluntary interview differs from police custody under French law – those questioned may leave at any time. At its conclusion, an individual may be released, summoned again, or placed in police custody, depending on the circumstances.
EU accuses Meta and TikTok of breaching social media transparency rules
European, UK scrutiny gathers pace
The Paris prosecutor’s office listed several alleged offences under investigation, including complicity in the possession of child sexual abuse images, denial of crimes against humanity, and administering an illegal online platform as part of an organised group.
French MP Éric Bothorel, who initiated one of the original reports, welcomed the authorities’ action.
In a post on X, he said the case underlined that in Europe – and particularly in France – “no one is above the law”, and that European regulations, as transposed into French legislation, apply equally to all actors.
The European Commission said it was in contact with the French authorities over the investigation.
Macron, Starmer join forces to tackle Musk 'interference' in European affairs
Regulatory scrutiny is also mounting in the UK, where the Information Commissioner’s Office has opened an inquiry into the collection of personal data and the alleged generation of explicit images by Grok.
The investigation targets xAI, which operates the chatbot, as well as X Internet Unlimited Company, the Dublin-based entity responsible for processing X’s data in the EU.
In a statement, the ICO said Grok had allegedly been used to create explicit images of individuals, including children, warning that such practices could breach UK data protection law and pose a risk of significant harm to the public.
Separately, UK media regulator Ofcom confirmed on Tuesday that it was continuing its own investigation into X, adding to the regulatory pressure facing the platform on both sides of the Channel.
(with newswires)
