The French offices of Elon Musk’s social media platform X have been raided by Paris prosecutors.
The raid was carried out by the cyber-crime unit as part of an ongoing investigation. Authorities are examining suspected offences including unlawful data extraction and complicity in child pornography-related crimes.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said Elon Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino have been summoned to hearings. Those hearings are scheduled to take place in April, according to prosecutors.
The office confirmed the investigation is active and continuing. X has not publicly commented on the latest developments.
In a separate development, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office announced a probe into Musk’s AI tool, Grok.
The regulator said it is examining Grok’s potential to produce harmful sexualised image and video content. UK authorities said the investigation is focused on data protection concerns.
X has previously described the French investigation as an attack on free speech. The company denied allegations that it manipulated its algorithm.
It said earlier actions by French authorities were politically motivated. That position was reiterated in a post made earlier this year.
Scope of the French investigation
The French investigation began in January 2025, according to prosecutors. Authorities initially examined content recommended by X’s algorithm.
In July 2025, the inquiry was widened to include Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok. Prosecutors said concerns expanded as the investigation progressed.
Following the raid, French authorities said they are investigating possible legal violations across several areas. Potential offences include complicity in the possession or organised distribution of pornographic images involving children.
Prosecutors are also examining possible infringements of image rights through sexual deepfakes. Fraudulent data extraction by an organised group is also under investigation.
French prosecutors said the search of X’s Paris office was part of evidence-gathering efforts. They did not confirm whether any materials were seized.
The investigation remains at a preliminary stage, according to officials. No charges have been announced so far.
Scrutiny of Grok and deepfake images
UK authorities have also provided updates on investigations into sexual deepfakes linked to Grok. The images were shared on X and often used real images of women without consent.
The issue drew strong criticism in January from victims and online safety campaigners. Politicians also raised concerns about the platform’s response.
The company later intervened to prevent the practice, according to regulators. This followed the launch of investigations by Ofcom and other bodies.
On Tuesday, Ofcom said it continues to investigate the platform. The regulator said it is treating the matter as a priority.
Ofcom added it currently lacks sufficient powers to investigate chatbot-generated illegal images. It said those limitations prevent direct action against Grok itself.
Shortly after, the Information Commissioner’s Office announced its own probe. The ICO said it is working in conjunction with Ofcom on the issue.
“The reports about Grok raise deeply troubling questions,” said William Malcolm of the ICO. He said there were concerns about how personal data may have been used.
Malcolm questioned whether safeguards were in place to prevent misuse. He said the investigation would focus on data processing practices.
In late January, the European Commission announced an investigation into X’s parent company, xAI. The Commission said it was concerned about the creation and spread of sexualised images.
A spokesperson confirmed contact with French authorities following the Paris office search. The Commission said coordination between regulators is ongoing.
Criticism from technology figures
Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticised the French authorities over the raid. He accused France of criminally persecuting social networks that allow freedom of expression.
Durov said France was unique in its approach to technology platforms. “This is not a free country,” he wrote in a post on X.
Durov was arrested and detained in France in August 2024. Prosecutors said Telegram had failed to curb criminal activity due to moderation lapses.
He was allowed to leave France in March after changes were made to the platform. Those changes included sharing some user data with authorities following legal requests.
Featured image credit: U.S. Air Force / Trevor Cokley
