French cybercrime investigators searched the Paris offices of social media platform X this week, escalating a broad legal inquiry into suspected unlawful data practices and the possible circulation of illegal sexual content through the service’s systems.
The raid was conducted by the Paris prosecutor’s specialist cybercrime unit, which said the operation forms part of an investigation launched earlier this year.
Authorities are examining whether the company may have facilitated offences including fraudulent data extraction and complicity in the possession or organised distribution of child sexual abuse material.
The search also follows formal summons issued to Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino, who have both been asked to appear before investigators in April. Prosecutors said they are assessing responsibility at the highest levels of corporate leadership.
In a post on X, Musk described the raid as a “political attack,” while the company said it was “disappointed but not surprised” by what it called an “abusive act” by the Paris Public Prosecutor’s office. X denied wrongdoing and argued that the measures threaten free speech.
French authorities said the probe initially focused on how X’s recommendation algorithm handled sensitive and potentially illegal content. That review began in January 2025 before widening midyear to include the firm’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok.
Investigators are now looking into whether Grok may have been used to generate or amplify sexualised deepfake images without consent. Such material, prosecutors said, could violate image rights laws and potentially constitute criminal offences.
The chatbot was developed by Musk’s AI company, xAI, and is integrated into X as a conversational assistant. Critics argue that its image-generation tools may be exploited to create explicit content using photographs of real people.
Across the Channel, British regulators have opened parallel inquiries. The Information Commissioner’s Office confirmed it has launched an investigation into Grok’s processing of personal data, working in coordination with Ofcom.
William Malcolm, the ICO’s executive director for regulatory risk and innovation, said reports about Grok raise “deeply troubling questions” about whether personal data was used to produce intimate or sexualised images without knowledge or consent. He added that regulators will examine whether adequate safeguards were implemented.
Ofcom said it continues to treat the matter as urgent but noted that its existing powers limit its ability to directly regulate chatbot-generated material. The regulator has nevertheless kept pressure on the platform over online safety compliance.
In Brussels, the European Commission has also stepped in, announcing an investigation into xAI over the technology’s risks and possible breaches of European digital rules. A spokesperson said the Commission is coordinating closely with French authorities following the Paris office search.
The widening scrutiny highlights Europe’s increasingly assertive stance toward large technology companies operating across the region. Officials have made clear that platforms may face heavy penalties if they fail to prevent illegal content or misuse of personal data.
Yaccarino, who left X last year, accused French prosecutors of conducting “a political vendetta against Americans” in a post online. She rejected claims that the company had knowingly permitted criminal activity.
Meanwhile, Pavel Durov, founder of the messaging service Telegram, weighed into the debate. He criticised French authorities, arguing that the country was targeting social networks that offer greater freedom of expression.
Durov himself was previously detained in France over allegations that Telegram failed to curb criminal use of its service. After making operational changes and agreeing to share certain user data in response to lawful requests, he was allowed to leave the country earlier this year.
Legal experts say the X case could become a landmark test of how far governments can go in policing AI tools embedded within social media platforms. Questions about accountability for algorithmic systems and automated image generation remain largely unsettled in law.
For Musk’s company, the investigations present mounting reputational and regulatory challenges across multiple jurisdictions. With hearings scheduled and probes expanding, the outcome could shape not only X’s future operations in Europe but also the broader rules governing AI-driven content worldwide.