French prosecutors raid Paris office of Elon Musk’s X
Paris authorities searched the French office of Elon Musk’s social media platform X on Tuesday as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
In a statement posted by prosecutors, officials said the search was conducted by their cybercrime unit and related to an inquiry that was opened last year into the platform’s operations in France.
As part of that probe, prosecutors have ordered Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino to appear for questioning in April. Several other X employees have also been summoned as witnesses, authorities said.
French officials are examining whether X or its executives improperly used algorithms or engaged in fraudulent data extraction, allegations that have been under investigation for roughly a year.
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Prosecutors said the scope of the inquiry was recently expanded after receiving complaints about the performance of X’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok.
Authorities are now also reviewing potential criminal violations involving the alleged handling and distribution of illegal images, including claims related to sexually explicit deepfakes and the misuse of personal image rights.
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Musk previously rejected the allegations, saying in July that French prosecutors were pursuing what he described as a "politically-motivated criminal investigation."
Prosecutors said the investigation is being conducted "with the aim of ultimately ensuring that the X platform complies with French laws" while operating within the country.
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Summons issued in the case are mandatory under French law, though enforcement can be more difficult when individuals reside outside France.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said the investigation began after a member of France’s parliament alleged that biased algorithms on X may have distorted the functioning of automated data-processing systems.
That lawmaker, Eric Bothorel, said on X that his January 2025 complaint was "yielding results," adding that "no one is above the law" in France.
Prosecutors also said their office would stop using X and instead communicate through LinkedIn and Instagram going forward.
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Europol assisted French authorities during Tuesday’s search, the prosecutor’s office said.
Musk has not publicly commented on the raid. FOX Business has reached out to X for comment.
Reuters contributed to this report.
