French prosecutors have formally opened an investigation into Elon Musk-owned social media platform X over allegations linked to child sexual abuse material, deepfake content, disinformation, and controversial outputs generated by the platform’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok. The Paris public prosecutor’s office confirmed that the inquiry is focused on whether the platform violated French laws by enabling the spread of illegal and harmful online content.
The investigation includes allegations related to complicity in possessing and distributing child sexual abuse images, unlawful collection of personal data, dissemination of non-consensual material, and denial of crimes against humanity. French authorities said the case widened after complaints emerged regarding AI-generated content on the platform, including explicit deepfake images and posts that allegedly promoted Holocaust denial.
The legal probe follows earlier summons issued to Elon Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino for voluntary interviews connected to the allegations. French officials stated that neither appeared before investigators, although prosecutors clarified that the absence of the executives would not affect the progress of the investigation. Authorities had also carried out searches earlier this year at X’s offices in France as part of a broader cybercrime inquiry.
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Officials said concerns escalated after Grok, the chatbot developed by xAI and integrated into X, generated controversial responses in French related to the Holocaust. One widely circulated response reportedly appeared to question historical accounts of mass killings at Auschwitz-Birkenau before the chatbot later reversed its stance and acknowledged established historical evidence following criticism from users and rights organisations.
French authorities are additionally examining whether X’s recommendation systems and algorithms distorted automated data processing mechanisms and contributed to the amplification of harmful or misleading information online. The investigation was initially triggered after complaints from a French lawmaker who alleged that the platform’s systems were enabling manipulation of information flows and the spread of unlawful digital content.
The case represents one of the strongest legal actions taken in Europe against X and its artificial intelligence ecosystem as regulators increase pressure on technology firms over online moderation, AI accountability, and user safety. Prosecutors also confirmed that US authorities, including the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission, were informed about concerns that controversies surrounding Grok-generated deepfakes may have influenced the market value of X and xAI. Neither X nor SpaceX had publicly responded to the allegations at the time of publication.
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