French police raided the offices of X social media platform of Elon Musk, in Paris on Tuesday. The raids were part of the expanded criminal investigations into the company’s algorithms and its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok.
The Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit searched as part of a year-long inquiry launched in early 2025 over suspected algorithmic abuse and fraudulent data handling by X and senior executives.
Meanwhile, authorities widened the probe after complaints alleged that Grok generated harmful sexualized imagery, including explicit deepfakes involving children.
Summons issued as scrutiny intensifies
Prosecutors summoned Musk and former chief executive Linda Yaccarino to testify on April 20, while investigators also called other X employees as witnesses. Authorities said they could extend or close the case after hearings and may place suspects in custody if required. The prosecutor’s office said the inquiry also examines possible violations of image rights and the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material through Grok.
Europe tightens oversight of Big Tech
Elsewhere, regulators across Europe increased pressure on X and its parent xAI. In Britain, the Information Commissioner’s Office is reviewing Grok’s role in non-consensual sexual imagery, while Ofcom is assessing X’s handling of deepfakes. Separately, the European Union opened its own investigation to determine whether the platform enabled illegal content to spread.
X rejected the allegations, saying French prosecutors were pressuring its US-based leadership. Musk described the case as a political attack. The inquiry, led by French cybercrime units with Europol support, reflects broader tensions between European regulators and American technology firms over content rules and accountability. Lawmaker Eric Bothorel said no company stands above the law in France and the European Union.
Raid on the X offices in Paris widened European scrutiny of algorithms, Grok, and Big Tech accountability.
