A PYMNTS Company

French Authorities Expand Probe Into Elon Musk’s X After Police Raid

By  |  February 3, 2026

French police raided the Paris offices of Elon Musk’s social media company X on Tuesday, and prosecutors ordered Musk to appear for questioning in April as part of a widening investigation that is drawing fresh attention to the platform’s operations in Europe. The move comes as European regulators step up scrutiny of major U.S. technology firms, according Reuters, amid concerns over data use, online safety and free speech.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    The French action and the decision to summon Musk are tied to a year-long inquiry into whether X or some of its executives misused algorithms or engaged in fraudulent data extraction, per Reuters. Authorities say the probe has now been widened following complaints linked to the behavior of Musk’s artificial-intelligence chatbot Grok, which is integrated into the platform.

    In a statement, the Paris prosecutor’s office said the investigation will now look into possible complicity in the possession and distribution of child-pornographic material, as well as violations of image rights through the creation and spread of sexually explicit deepfake images. Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino have been summoned to a hearing on April 20, while several other employees are also expected to testify as witnesses, according Reuters. There was no immediate public response from X to the raid or the summons.

    The legal procedure means those called must attend, although enforcing such orders is more difficult when individuals reside outside France. After the hearing, prosecutors can decide whether to drop the case, continue it, or pursue stronger measures, including placing suspects in custody, per Reuters.

    The French investigation is unfolding alongside actions in other European countries. Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office has opened a formal inquiry into xAI, the company behind Grok, over how it processes personal data and whether it has been used to create harmful or sexualised images, according Reuters. Britain’s media regulator Ofcom is also reviewing whether X has taken adequate steps to prevent the spread of sexual deepfakes on its social media service.

    Related: Trillion-Dollar Tech Giant? Musk Weighs Combining SpaceX, Tesla and xAI

    At the European Union level, regulators last week launched their own probe into X to assess whether it has allowed illegal content to circulate, after widespread concern about manipulated sexualised images produced by Grok, per Reuters. The news agency has reported that the chatbot has continued to generate sexualised images even when users warned that the people depicted did not consent, prompting xAI to impose new restrictions on its image-generation tools.

    In France, the case is being handled by the Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit along with French police and Europol. The investigation was triggered after a lawmaker raised concerns that biased algorithms on X could have distorted automated data-processing systems, according Reuters. That lawmaker, Eric Bothorel, welcomed the progress of the case in a message posted on X.

    The Paris prosecutor’s office also announced it would stop using X as a communications channel and instead rely on LinkedIn and Instagram for official updates, marking another sign of the growing tension between the platform and European authorities, per Reuters.

    Source: Reuters