Among the suspicions under investigation are complicity in the possession or organized distribution of child pornography, the violation of image rights with sexual deepfakes and the fraudulent extraction of data by organized groups
The French offices of Elon Musk’s social network X were the target of an operation by the cybercrime unit of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, as part of an investigation into suspected illegal data extraction and complicity in the possession of child pornography.
“Specialized prosecutors and assistants from the cybercrime unit are analyzing the case and carrying out initial technical checks,” confirmed the Public Ministry in an email sent to Reuters.
Authorities revealed that the process began in January 2025, initially focusing on content recommended by the social network’s algorithm, before expanding to include X’s controversial artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok.
Both Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino, the platform’s former executive director, were summoned to appear in court for hearings in April, the prosecutor’s office added. The company has not yet commented on the action, but previously classified the investigation as an attack on freedom of expression. In July 2025, X described the expansion of the investigation as “politically motivated” and denied manipulating the algorithm.
Among the suspicions under investigation are complicity in the possession or organized distribution of child pornography, the violation of image rights with sexual deepfakes and the fraudulent extraction of data by organized groups. The Public Ministry also announced that, from now on, it will communicate with X via LinkedIn and Instagram.
At the same time, in the United Kingdom, according to the BBC, Ofcom continues to investigate sexual deepfakes created by Grok and shared on X. “We are treating the matter as a matter of urgency”, stated the entity. The images, often produced using photos of women without their consent, provoked criticism from victims, activists and politicians, leading the company to intervene.
The French investigation comes just days before a major AI event in Paris that is expected to host world leaders including US Vice President JD Vance and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as executives from Alphabet (Google) and Microsoft.
