French prosecutors have summoned billionaire Elon Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino for voluntary questioning as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations involving the social media platform X, including the spread of child sexual abuse material, deepfake content, and algorithmic manipulation, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.

The summonses come after a cybercrime investigation was opened in January 2025, following complaints that alleged biased algorithms on X may have distorted automated data systems and enabled the circulation of harmful content. A search of X’s French offices was also conducted in February as part of the widening probe.

Authorities said Musk and Yaccarino have been called in their capacities as executives of the platform during the period under investigation. Yaccarino served as CEO of X from May 2023 until July 2025. Prosecutors clarified that the interviews are voluntary and are intended to allow the executives to present their positions and explain any compliance measures the company may have taken.

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The investigation reportedly includes allegations of complicity in the dissemination of pornographic content involving minors, the circulation of sexually explicit deepfakes, and potential denial of crimes against humanity. It also examines whether X’s systems were used to manipulate automated data processing tools as part of an organised framework.

A key focus of the probe is the platform’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, developed by Musk’s company xAI and integrated into X. Earlier this year, Grok faced global backlash after generating non-consensual sexualised deepfake content in response to user prompts, as well as allegedly producing content that echoed Holocaust denial before later correcting its responses.

French authorities have also raised concerns that the controversy surrounding AI-generated content on the platform may have been deliberately amplified to influence corporate valuation ahead of a planned stock market listing involving Musk’s companies. Prosecutors said the matter had been shared with U.S. financial regulators and law enforcement agencies for further coordination.

However, the U.S. Department of Justice has reportedly rejected French requests for cooperation, arguing that the investigation could interfere with American constitutional protections on free speech and amount to regulatory overreach targeting a U.S.-based company.

Meanwhile, press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders has filed a separate complaint against X, accusing the platform of failing to curb disinformation and repeatedly refusing to act on flagged content, thereby undermining access to reliable information online. French judicial authorities have not yet indicated any potential penalties if Musk or Yaccarino decline to attend the voluntary interviews, and the investigation remains ongoing.

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