French prosecutors have summoned Elon Musk to Paris as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged illegal content and platform practices linked to X, the social media company he owns. The inquiry centers on accusations involving child sexual abuse images, sexually explicit deepfakes, and other material that authorities say may violate French law.
Musk, along with former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino, has been invited to take part in what prosecutors described as voluntary interviews. Several other current or former employees of the platform are also expected to be questioned as witnesses during the week. It remains uncertain whether either Musk or Yaccarino will appear in person.
The case follows a search carried out in February at X’s offices in France. That operation was tied to an investigation opened in January 2025 by the cybercrime division of the Paris prosecutor’s office. French authorities said the goal at this stage is to gather explanations from company leadership and assess what compliance measures may be introduced as the probe continues.
According to prosecutors, the investigation has broadened over time. It now includes scrutiny of alleged possession and distribution of abusive images involving minors, the circulation of sexually explicit deepfakes, Holocaust denial content, and suspected manipulation of automated data systems. Some of the concerns are linked to Grok, the artificial intelligence tool developed by xAI and integrated into X.
The AI system has drawn international criticism in recent months after generating explicit fabricated images and publishing content that triggered backlash over historical distortion. In one widely discussed instance, Grok produced a post in French that appeared to deny established facts about Auschwitz. The chatbot later reversed course, acknowledged the error, and said the earlier reply had been removed.
French prosecutors have also informed U.S. authorities about a separate concern: whether the controversy surrounding Grok-generated content may have been used to influence the market value of Musk-linked companies ahead of a planned listing involving a merged entity connected to SpaceX and xAI. That aspect of the case has added a financial dimension to what began as a content moderation and cybercrime investigation.
Reports in U.S. media indicate that the American Justice Department has declined to assist French investigators in pursuing that line of inquiry. According to those reports, U.S. officials argued that France was attempting to use criminal proceedings to regulate the business activities of an American technology platform.
French prosecutors, however, signaled that the investigation will continue regardless of whether Musk or Yaccarino attend the interviews. They described the current phase as part of a broader effort to determine whether X is meeting its legal obligations while operating in France.
The case is one of several launched in recent years by the Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit as authorities step up oversight of major digital platforms and the content they host.
