French prosecutors raided X’s Paris headquarters on Tuesday as part of a widening investigation into alleged child sexual abuse imagery, AI-generated deepfakes, and Holocaust denial on the platform.
The raid, supported by Europol, marks a significant escalation in European regulators’ crackdown on Elon Musk’s social media empire. Prosecutors have summoned Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino for “voluntary interviews” scheduled for April 20.
Investigation Scope
The Paris prosecutors’ cybercrime unit opened a preliminary investigation in January 2025, initially focusing on allegations that biased algorithms on X distorted automated>denied the Holocaust and produced sexually explicit deepfakes.
Charges under investigation include complicity in possessing and spreading child sexual abuse imagery and sexually explicit deepfakes. Prosecutors are also probing denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of automated data processing systems as part of an organized group.
The prosecutors’ office announced the ongoing searches on X itself. It then declared it was leaving the platform, calling on followers to join it on other social media services.
Grok at the Center of Controversy
The xAI-developed chatbot Grok sparked global outrage last month. Its “spicy mode” generated tens of thousands of sexualized nonconsensual deepfake images in response to user requests.
The chatbot also posted Holocaust denial content in French. It claimed gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau were designed for “disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus” rather than mass murder—language long associated with Holocaust deniers.
While Grok later reversed itself and acknowledged the error, the damage was done. Malaysia and Indonesia became the first countries to block Grok entirely, with Malaysia announcing legal action against X and xAI.
X Fires Back
In a statement posted on its own platform, X condemned the raid as “an abusive act of law enforcement theater designed to achieve illegitimate political objectives rather than advance legitimate law enforcement goals rooted in the fair and impartial administration of justice.”
The company denied all allegations, characterizing the French action as politically motivated censorship.
Durov Weighs In
Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who himself faces similar charges in France after his August 2024 arrest, defended X and attacked French authorities.
“French police is currently raiding X’s office in Paris. France is the only country in the world that is criminally persecuting all social networks that give people some degree of freedom (Telegram, X, TikTok…). Don’t be mistaken: this is not a free country,” Durov wrote on X.
In a follow-up comment, he added: “Weaponising child protection to legitimise censorship and mass surveillance is disgusting. These people will stop at nothing.”
Mixed Reactions
Durov’s characterization drew both support and pushback online. Some users echoed his framing, with one calling France’s approach a “Digital Autocracy starter pack” and describing Durov’s arrest as “the warning” of things to come.
Others urged nuance. “Platforms like Telegram and X aren’t just ‘freedom tools’. They can be used to spread hate, coordinate violence, and destabilise societies,” one user wrote. “Reducing it to ‘free country vs not free’ misses a lot of the reality on both sides.”
Regulatory Pressure Mounts
France is not alone in scrutinizing Musk’s platforms. Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office opened formal investigations into how X and xAI handled personal data when developing Grok, while UK media regulator Ofcom continues a separate probe that could take months.
The European Union launched its own investigation last month following the deepfake incident and has already fined X €120 million for violations of digital regulations, including deceptive blue-checkmark practices.
The legal pressure comes as Musk consolidates his tech holdings. SpaceX announced Monday that it acquired xAI in a deal that would combine Grok, X, and the satellite communications company Starlink under one corporate umbrella—a move that could complicate regulatory oversight across multiple jurisdictions.
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