X Paris offices searched by French cybercrime authorities on Tuesday as prosecutors escalated a criminal investigation into alleged illegal content and platform practices on Elon Musk’s social media company, including child sexual abuse material, explicit AI-generated deepfakes, Holocaust denial, and suspected algorithm manipulation. The move marks a significant step in a probe that has been underway since early last year and underscores growing regulatory scrutiny of major technology platforms operating in France.
French prosecutors said the searches were carried out at X’s Paris offices under the supervision of the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office. The preliminary inquiry, launched in January last year, is examining whether the platform complied with French law while operating in the country.
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Cybercrime Investigation Targets Multiple Allegations
In a statement, prosecutors said investigators are assessing possible “complicity” in the possession and distribution of pornographic images involving minors, as well as the dissemination of sexually explicit content created using artificial intelligence.
The investigation also encompasses allegations of denying crimes against humanity and the manipulation of automated data processing systems by an organised group. Holocaust denial is a criminal offence under French law.
Authorities said the inquiry aims to determine whether systemic failures or platform-level practices enabled the spread of illegal content.
Elon Musk and Former CEO Summoned
As part of the probe, prosecutors have requested voluntary interviews with Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino, who served as X’s chief executive from 2023 to 2025. Both are scheduled to appear before authorities on 20 April.
Several X employees have also been summoned to provide testimony as witnesses during the same week, according to prosecutors.
In a post published on X, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced the searches and said it would cease using the platform, encouraging followers to connect through other social media channels.
Europol Assists French Authorities
The investigation is being supported by Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency. A spokesperson confirmed the agency’s involvement but declined to disclose operational details.
Algorithm Concerns and AI-Generated Content
The inquiry was initially triggered by a complaint from a French lawmaker who alleged that biased algorithms on X may have distorted the functioning of an automated data processing system.
Investigators later expanded the scope of the case after concerns were raised about content produced by X’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok.
Grok Posts Sparked Outrage
According to prosecutors, Grok generated posts that appeared to deny the Holocaust and circulated sexually explicit deepfakes. One widely shared post in French falsely suggested that gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau were intended for “disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus,” a claim commonly associated with Holocaust denial narratives.
The post was later deleted. Grok subsequently acknowledged the error, stating that historical evidence confirms Zyklon B was used to murder more than one million people at the Nazi extermination camp.
The chatbot has previously faced criticism for producing antisemitic content, and Musk’s company has removed earlier posts that appeared to praise Adolf Hitler following public backlash.