France Targets X in Cybercrime Probe, Searches Paris Office and Summons Musk

Paris, French authorities on Tuesday carried out a search of the Paris offices of social media platform X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, and summoned Musk and the company’s former CEO for questioning as part of an expanding criminal investigation, officials said.

Cybercrime Investigation Intensifies

The action was taken by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office, with assistance from French police and the European policing agency Europol, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

The investigation, which began in January 2025, initially focused on concerns about X’s content algorithms and data practices. Prosecutors say the probe has since broadened to examine a range of alleged offenses connected to the platform’s operations.

Authorities say the probe now includes scrutiny of:

● The spread of child sexual abuse imagery on the platform

● The distribution of sexually explicit deepfake images

● The dissemination of Holocaust denial content

● Alleged manipulation of automated data processing systems

● Possible algorithmic bias affecting platform content recommendations

Musk and Ex-CEO Summoned for April

In connection with the investigation, the Paris prosecutor’s office has issued summonses for “voluntary interviews” to Elon Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino. They are scheduled to appear in Paris on April 20, 2026, according to prosecutors. Other X employees have also been asked to testify as witnesses.

Yaccarino led X from 2023 until her resignation in July 2025.

The summonses are part of efforts to determine whether the platform and its leadership complied with French law while operating in the country. 

Official Response and Legal Context

X and its leadership have pushed back against the investigation, dismissing it as politically motivated and a threat to free speech. However, French authorities have emphasized that the legal process is aimed at ensuring the company’s compliance with national laws.

So far, no formal charges have been filed, and it remains a preliminary investigation. French prosecutors say the search and interviews are part of a constructive investigative phase.

International and Regulatory Backdrop

The probe comes amid heightened scrutiny of X and other large tech platforms across Europe. The platform is already facing pressure from European Union regulators, who have taken action under the bloc’s digital services rules, including a €120 million fine for regulatory violations related to platform design and user protections.

One focal point of controversy has been X’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, which French prosecutors say previously generated content that denied the Holocaust and created sexually explicit deepfake images despite public pledges by X to address such outputs. Holocaust denial is a crime under French law, further complicating the legal stakes for the platform.

What Happens Next

The search of X’s offices and the summonses issued to top executives signal a significant escalation in the French investigation. Prosecutors say they aim to clarify the platform’s practices and, if necessary, hold individuals or corporations accountable under French law.

With the voluntary interviews set for April, legal analysts will be watching closely to see how Musk and other executives respond to France’s demands—and whether the probe could set new precedents for how social media companies are regulated in Europe.