On Monday, Elon Musk was called to Paris as authorities investigate potential misconduct linked to the social media platform X, particularly concerning the distribution of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content.
The Paris public prosecutor’s office revealed that Musk, along with Linda Yaccarino, the former CEO of X, has been summoned for “voluntary questioning.” They plan to interview additional employees of the platform later this week.
It’s unclear if Musk and Yaccarino will make the trip to Paris. A representative for Company X didn’t respond to inquiries from The Associated Press, nor did Yaccarino’s current employer, eMed, provide any information when contacted by the media.
Reason for Summoning Musk
Musk’s summons followed a raid at Company X’s office in France back in February. This was part of an investigation launched in January 2025 by the cybercrime division of the Paris public prosecutor’s office.
Musk and Yaccarino were invited to speak in their roles as executives during the time the inquiry began. Yaccarino held his CEO position from May 2023 until July 2025.
Prosecutors noted that these voluntary interviews are meant to let executives clarify their positions on the issues at hand and discuss any compliance strategies they might need to implement. They are taking a constructive approach to ensure that Platform X adheres to French law while it operates within the country.
When asked if Musk could face consequences for not attending the hearing, Paris prosecutors chose not to comment.
What is Being Investigated
Authorities in France started their investigation following a report from a lawmaker who alleged that algorithms used by X might be skewing automated data processing systems.
The AI system Grok, which is part of X, has reportedly produced posts denying the Holocaust—a crime in France—along with sharing sexually explicit deepfakes.
The focus of the investigation includes serious charges such as the possession and distribution of child pornography, the creation of explicit deepfakes, denial of humanity’s crimes, and manipulation of automated data systems as part of an organized group.
Grok, developed by xAI and integrated into X, has provoked significant backlash this year due to its generation of sexual and non-consensual deepfake images in response to user requests. In a controversial French-language post, Grok suggested that the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau were built not for mass murder but rather for “disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus,” a statement closely linked to Holocaust denial.
Later, the chatbot retracted that statement, acknowledging it was incorrect, and it was subsequently deleted. It referenced historical evidence that Zyklon B was indeed used to kill over a million people at Auschwitz.
French Prosecutors Warn US Authorities
This past March, the Paris public prosecutor’s office cautioned U.S. authorities, including the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), regarding potential criminal activity linked to sexually explicit deepfakes generated by Grok. They suggested these actions might have been designed to artificially inflate the values of Company X and xAI, especially as they were losing momentum ahead of a planned stock market listing in June 2026 for the new entity formed from the SpaceX and xAI merger.
Justice Department Ignores France’s Call
According to reports, the Justice Department informed French authorities that they would not assist in investigating Musk. A two-page letter from the Office of International Affairs accused France of misusing its judicial system to interfere with U.S. business endeavors.
The letter claimed that the French investigation aimed to leverage criminal law to regulate free speech, which might contradict the First Amendment rights in the U.S. Furthermore, it characterized France’s request for U.S. assistance as an attempt to involve America in politically charged criminal proceedings directed at regulating social media businesses.
French judicial authorities have not responded to inquiries for comment.
Reporters Without Borders Lawsuit
In a related note, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has filed a new complaint against X, addressing the platform’s policies that permit the spread of disinformation. They accused Musk’s company of repeatedly undermining the public’s right to trustworthy information.
RSF pointed out that numerous disinformation campaigns on X have gained a considerable number of views. Despite staff being aware of the issues, they have not acted on warnings from RSF, automatically dismissing requests to remove problematic content. This, RSF contends, reflects a deliberate policy at X that contradicts the public’s need for reliable information.
