French authorities raided the Paris offices of social media company X on Tuesday, escalating a major investigation involving the platform’s operations. At the same time, prosecutors summoned the company’s owner, Elon Musk, as part of a criminal investigation.
The move significantly escalates a probe that French authorities opened more than a year ago. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, its cybercrime division is leading the case.
Prosecutors are examining several allegations linked to activity on the platform. In particular, these include the distribution of child sexual abuse material and the spread of content denying crimes against humanity. Additionally, authorities are investigating suspected unlawful data collection.
Paris chief prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the search aimed to collect evidence tied to seven separate allegations. As a result, officials are now assessing whether X complied with French criminal law.
The investigation began in January last year. Initially, it focused on concerns about how X’s algorithm promotes content. However, authorities later expanded the probe to include Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence chatbot.
According to prosecutors, Grok may have generated Holocaust denial material and sexually explicit deepfake images. Furthermore, officials raised concerns about safeguards meant to block illegal content.
In a separate statement, the prosecutor’s office said X stopped using a tool designed to limit child sexual abuse imagery. Consequently, authorities warned that this decision may have allowed such content to circulate more widely.
Investigators also accused the platform of enabling the creation of sexualized images without consent. Meanwhile, prosecutors said X failed to provide information about users suspected of criminal activity.
As part of the inquiry, prosecutors have summoned several individuals linked to the company. These include Elon Musk and former chief executive Linda Yaccarino.
In response to the search, X denied all allegations. In a public statement, the company rejected any wrongdoing. Moreover, it described the investigation as politically motivated and harmful to free expression.
Separately, Ms. Yaccarino criticized the case. She said French prosecutors were unfairly singling out American technology companies.
The investigation reflects wider friction between European regulators and U.S. tech firms. European officials say stricter rules are needed to protect users from abuse and illegal content. U.S. officials say the rules put an unfair focus on American companies.
Recently, the European Union rolled out new regulations aimed at better monitoring and controlling online platforms. Under these rules, regulators can impose large fines for violations. As a result, X has already faced penalties under the Digital Services Act.
France, however, has taken a tougher stance on enforcement. The government has pushed to hold platform operators accountable for illegal activity. In 2023, lawmakers approved legislation that made it illegal for platforms to knowingly permit organized illegal transactions.
Following that change, French authorities used the law in 2024 against Telegram founder Pavel Durov. Although he criticized the move, his company later increased cooperation with law enforcement.
On Tuesday, Mr. Durov came to Mr. Musk’s defense in public comments, warning that criminal cases against social media platforms risk undermining online freedoms.
French officials pushed back on that claim. Paris chief prosecutor Laure Beccuau said authorities are acting within the law. Ultimately, she said the goal is to ensure X complies with French regulations.
Later, the prosecutor’s office announced it would stop posting updates on X.
