French prosecutors escalate Musk and X probe

Both Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino received summons for April 20 but declined to appear.

In February, Musk termed the investigation a “political attack” following a raid on X’s Paris office.

The probe, initiated by French MP Éric Bothorel in early 2025, examines complaints of algorithmic manipulation by X to influence French politics.

It includes allegations that Musk and X permitted users of the AI chatbot Grok to disseminate Holocaust denials and nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfake images on X.

Investigation escalates

Grok is developed by xAI, Musk’s AI company that acquired X and earlier merged with SpaceX.

A version of Grok is also integrated into electric vehicles made by Tesla.

Other jurisdictions are investigating X and Grok, including the California attorney general’s office.

The investigations focus on whether Musk and his companies allowed the creation of deepfake explicit images, including child sexual abuse materials.

In April, the U.S. Department of Justice told French authorities it wouldn’t assist in the investigations and accused France of interfering with an American business.

Representatives for Musk and SpaceX did not immediately comment.

The Justice Department and Paris prosecutor’s office were also unavailable for comment.

Ongoing scrutiny

The situation highlights growing concerns over the regulation of social media and AI technologies.

Authorities are keen to address potential harms related to algorithm misuse and deepfake technology.

As the investigations unfold, further international collaboration may be expected between jurisdictions on these issues.

The outcome could influence future policies surrounding online platforms and artificial intelligence development.