French authorities have raided the Paris offices of X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, as part of a criminal investigation into suspected child sexual abuse content, illegal data use, and AI-generated sexual deepfakes, prosecutors said.

The raid was carried out by the Paris Prosecutor’s Office cybercrime unit, which is examining whether X and its artificial intelligence tool Grok violated French law by facilitating or failing to prevent the spread of child sexual abuse material and non-consensual sexual imagery.

As part of the investigation, Elon Musk and former X Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino have been summoned to testify in April, according to judicial sources.

Probe expanded to AI tool Grok

French prosecutors said the investigation began in January 2025, focusing on content promoted by X’s algorithm, and was expanded in July to include Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Musk’s company xAI.

Authorities are investigating whether Grok enabled the creation of sexually explicit images and videos using real individuals’ photographs without consent, including deepfake material.

Musk rejects allegations

Musk described the raid as a “political attack” in a post on X. The company said it was “disappointed but not surprised,” accusing French prosecutors of abuse of authority and claiming the investigation threatens freedom of expression.

French officials rejected that argument, stressing that the probe is focused on child protection, misuse of personal data, and organized criminal activity, not lawful speech.

UK and EU launch parallel inquiries

Following developments in France, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced a separate investigation into Grok, citing concerns over its ability to generate harmful and sexualized content.

Earlier this year, AI-generated sexual deepfake images shared on X sparked widespread outrage in Europe, with victims and digital rights groups warning that women’s images were being used without consent.

The European Commission has also confirmed that it opened a probe into xAI in January and is working in close coordination with French authorities.The case has intensified scrutiny of AI regulation, platform accountability, and child safety, as European regulators signal a tougher stance on emerging technologies and online platforms. (ILKHA)