French police specialising in cyber-crime, with support from Europol, have searched the offices of Elon Musk’s social media platform X as part of an ongoing investigation.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said the inquiry initially focused on how X’s recommendation algorithms operate and has since been expanded to include the platform’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok.
Prosecutors added that Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino have been summoned to appear at hearings scheduled for April. X has previously characterised the investigation as an attack on free speech.
Expanded Probe and Potential Charges
The probe began in January 2025 and was broadened in July after reports that sexually explicit deepfakes and Holocaust denial content were circulating on the platform. At the time, X described the expanded investigation as politically motivated and rejected claims that it had manipulated its algorithms.
Authorities said they are now examining whether X may have breached the law in several areas. Potential offences under review include complicity in the possession or organised distribution of illegal images involving children, violations of image rights through sexual deepfakes and the fraudulent extraction of data by an organised group.
The prosecutor’s office also announced it would no longer post updates on X and would instead communicate via LinkedIn and Instagram.
X has faced mounting criticism in recent months over sexualised images created or altered using its Grok AI tool. Many of the images reportedly used real photos of women without their consent, drawing condemnation from victims, online safety advocates and politicians. The company later took steps to restrict the practice.
Kursiv also reports that Elon Musk’s SpaceX has taken over his artificial intelligence start-up xAI.
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