French Prosecutors Escalate Elon Musk Probe into Criminal Investigation

French cybercrime authorities have escalated a probe into Elon Musk and his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to a criminal investigation. The Paris prosecutor’s office announced Thursday that the inquiry will now delve into potential criminal offenses, marking a significant escalation in the scrutiny faced by the tech mogul and his ventures.

Summons were issued to both Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino for April 20. However, neither appeared before French authorities to address the allegations, according to the prosecutor’s office. This non-compliance further intensifies the legal standoff.

Musk has publicly denounced the investigation, labeling it a “political attack” in February, shortly after French authorities conducted a raid on X’s Paris offices. This assertion suggests a belief that the probe is politically motivated rather than a genuine pursuit of justice.

The investigation, initially requested by French Member of Parliament Éric Bothorel in early 2025, centers on two critical areas. Firstly, it examines allegations of algorithmic manipulation by X, which are suspected of influencing and interfering in French political discourse. Secondly, it addresses grave accusations that Musk and X knowingly permitted the use of their AI chatbot, Grok, to generate and disseminate Holocaust denial content and nonconsensual, sexually explicit deepfake imagery on the X platform.

Grok is a product of xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence venture. Earlier this year, xAI acquired X, a platform Musk already controlled, and subsequently merged with SpaceX, his pioneering reusable rocket company. This intricate corporate structure raises questions about oversight and accountability across Musk’s diverse technology portfolio. A version of Grok is also integrated into Tesla’s electric vehicles, underscoring the widespread deployment of Musk’s AI technology.

The scope of these investigations is not confined to France. Several other international jurisdictions, alongside the California attorney general’s office, are independently scrutinizing X and Grok. The common thread among these probes is the examination of whether Musk and his associated companies deliberately facilitated the creation and propagation of deepfake explicit content, including child sexual abuse material, derived from images or videos of individuals who have not given their consent.

In April, reports indicated that the U.S. Department of Justice communicated to French authorities its refusal to cooperate with the investigation into Musk or X. The U.S. Justice Department reportedly accused France of inappropriately interfering with an American business, highlighting potential jurisdictional conflicts and differing approaches to regulating technology companies.

Representatives for Musk and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Justice Department and the Paris prosecutor’s office were also unavailable for immediate comment, suggesting a deliberate communication strategy from all parties involved.

This multifaceted investigation underscores the growing regulatory and legal challenges confronting major technology platforms and their leaders in an era of rapidly advancing AI and evolving digital landscapes. The implications for free speech, data privacy, and the integrity of online information are profound, and the outcomes of these probes could set significant precedents for the future governance of the digital world.