French authorities have raided the Paris offices of Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, as part of a criminal investigation into alleged child exploitation content and the misuse of its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, to generate sexual deepfake images.
The search was conducted on Tuesday by the Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit, as investigators intensify scrutiny of how the platform manages illegal and harmful content.
Prosecutors have summoned Elon Musk and former X Chief Executive Officer, Linda Yaccarino, to appear at hearings scheduled for April. They are expected to respond to questions regarding their roles in the alleged offences linked to the platform.
The probe began in January 2025, when investigators started reviewing content promoted by X’s recommendation algorithm. It was later expanded to include Grok after the AI tool came under fire for producing sexualised images of women using real photographs without consent.
In July 2025, X described the widened investigation as an assault on free speech, insisting it was politically motivated and denying any manipulation of its algorithms.
According to information obtained by Naija News, French prosecutors are examining several possible offences, including aiding the possession or distribution of child abuse material, violations of image rights through sexual deepfakes, and organised fraudulent data extraction.
The Paris prosecutor’s office also announced it would stop using X for official communication, opting instead for platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram.
Grok AI Triggers Global Outrage
The controversy escalated after users discovered that Grok could be used to create sexualised images from real photos of women without their permission. Victims, digital safety groups, and European lawmakers condemned X for allowing the practice to continue.
Following weeks of public pressure, the company eventually blocked the feature.
Subsequently, the European Commission opened an investigation into X’s parent company, xAI, in late January, while the UK’s communications regulator, Ofcom, launched a similar inquiry earlier.
Telegram Founder Defends X
Reacting to the raid, Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticised French authorities and voiced support for X. He claimed France was “the only country in the world that is criminally persecuting all social networks that give people some degree of freedom.”
“This is not a free country,” Durov wrote on X.
Durov himself was arrested in Paris in August 2024 over allegations that Telegram failed to adequately moderate criminal content. He was allowed to leave France last March after the platform agreed to share user data with authorities when legally required.
The raid highlights France’s strict stance on regulating major tech companies, with prosecutors opting to pursue criminal charges against executives rather than relying solely on financial penalties.
It remains uncertain whether Musk will attend the April hearings, as the billionaire has previously ignored legal summons issued by governments.