Elon Musk skips French prosecutors summons as X investigation deepens over Grok AI abuses

Musk summoned by French prosecutor in X probe, unclear if he will comply

PARIS, April 20 (Reuters) - Tech billionaire Elon Musk was due to appear before French prosecutors for questioning on Monday, as part of an investigation into X and its AI chatbot Grok that is set to further strain relations between the U.S. and Europe over Big Tech and free speech. It was not clear if Musk would attend the hearing. The date was set in February when the Paris prosecutor's cybercrime unit raided the French office of the social media ⁠platform in a probe related to fraudulent data extraction. It was later expanded to include suspected complicity in the distribution of child pornography and the creation of sexual deepfakes by . While attendance at Monday's hearing is mandatory, the authorities at this stage cannot compel Musk to appear. Reuters could not reach representatives for Musk ahead of the summons. In July, Musk denied the initial accusations and said French prosecutors were launching a "politically-motivated criminal investigation". The Paris prosecutor's office declined to comment. X has come under from regulators and governments in several countries since Musk's takeover of the platform, with authorities ⁠examining issues including content moderation, data practices and compliance with local laws. Prosecutors have said the centres on whether X's algorithms distorted the treatment of content on the platform and whether the company improperly extracted user data, after complaints from French lawmakers and advocacy groups. In a sign of the potential for the investigation ⁠to worsen already tense relations with Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the U.S. Justice Department sent a letter to the Paris prosecutor saying it would not cooperate in the probe, which it viewed ⁠as politically motivated. The Paris prosecutor said it had no knowledge of such a letter, and added that "the French constitution guarantees the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary." Former X ⁠CEO Linda Yaccarino and several other X staff have also been summoned as witnesses for questioning. After such a hearing, authorities can decide to either shelve or continue the probe, and potentially place suspects under formal investigation. Reporting by Dominique Patton and Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Kate Mayberry Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

French prosecutors await Musk in X probe, unclear if he will comply

French prosecutors were waiting to see if tech billionaire Elon Musk would respond to a summons to appear before them on Monday for questioning as part of an investigation into X and its AI chatbot Grok in a probe related to fraudulent data extraction. It was not clear if Musk would attend the hearing and there was no sign of him at the main Paris courthouse. The date had been set in February when the Paris prosecutor's cybercrime unit raided the French office of social media platform X, which is owned by Musk. The probe, which has further strained relations between the U.S. and Europe over Big Tech and free speech, was later expanded to include suspected complicity in the distribution of child pornography and the creation of sexual deepfakes by Grok. While attendance at Monday's hearing is mandatory, the authorities at this stage cannot compel Musk, the world's richest man, to appear. Reuters could not reach representatives for Musk ahead of the summons. In July, Musk denied the initial accusations and said French prosecutors were launching a "politically-motivated criminal investigation". The Paris prosecutor's office declined to comment. X has come under scrutiny from regulators and governments in several countries since Musk's takeover of the platform, with authorities examining issues including content moderation, data practices and compliance with local laws. Prosecutors have said the French investigation centers on allegations X's algorithms distorted the treatment of content on the platform, that it improperly extracted user data and that it violated individuals' rights with sexually explicit deepfakes.

French prosecutors summon Elon Musk over allegations of child abuse images and deepfakes on X

PARIS (AP) -- Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris on Monday, where investigators are looking into allegations of misconduct related to the social media platform X, including the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content. The world's richest man and Linda Yaccarino -- the former CEO of X -- have been summoned for "voluntary interviews," while other employees of the platform are scheduled to be heard as witnesses throughout this week, the Paris prosecutor's office said. It remains unclear whether Musk and Yaccarino will travel to Paris. A spokesperson for X did not respond to questions from The Associated Press and Yaccarino's current company, eMed, did not answer a request sent to the press email. Musk was summoned after a search took place in February at the French premises of X as part of an investigation opened in January 2025 by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office. Musk and Yaccarino have been invited in their capacities as managers of X at the time of the events investigated. Yaccarino was CEO from May 2023 until July 2025. "These voluntary interviews with the executives are intended to allow them to present their position regarding the facts and, where appropriate, the compliance measures they plan to implement," prosecutors said. "At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the ultimate objective of ensuring that platform X complies with French law, insofar as it operates within the national territory." Asked whether Musk would risk sanctions if he skipped the hearing, the Paris prosecutor's office declined to comment. French authorities opened their investigation after reports from a French lawmaker alleging that biased algorithms on X likely distorted the functioning of an automated data processing system. It expanded after the platform's AI system, Grok, generated posts that allegedly denied the Holocaust, a crime in France, and spread sexually explicit deepfakes. It's looking into alleged "complicity" in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organized group, among other charges. Grok, which was built by xAI and is available through X, sparked global outrage this year after it pumped out a torrent of sexualized nonconsensual deepfake images in response to requests from X users. Grok also wrote in a widely shared post in French that gas chambers at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp were designed for "disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus" rather than for mass murder -- language long associated with Holocaust denial. In later posts on X, the chatbot reversed itself and acknowledged that its earlier reply was wrong, saying it had been deleted, and pointed to historical evidence that Zyklon B was used to kill more than 1 million people in Auschwitz gas chambers. In March, the Paris prosecutor's office alerted the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) -- the U.S. federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing financial markets -- suggesting "that the controversy surrounding sexually explicit deepfakes generated by Grok may have been deliberately orchestrated to artificially boost the value of the companies X and xAI -- potentially constituting criminal offenses," prosecutors said. The Paris prosecutor's office said this could have been done "ahead of the planned June 2026 stock market listing of the new entity formed by the merger of Space X and xAI, at a time when company X was clearly losing momentum." According to the Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department told French law enforcement authorities it wouldn't facilitate their efforts to investigate Musk's X. The newspaper reported that the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, in a two-page letter last week, accused the French of inappropriately using its justice system to interfere with an American business. "This investigation seeks to use the criminal legal system in France to regulate a public square for the free expression of ideas and opinions in a manner contrary to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution," said the letter quoted by The Wall Street Journal. The letter also said France's requests for U.S. assistance "constitute an effort to entangle the United States in a politically charged criminal proceeding aimed at wrongfully regulating through prosecution the business activities of a social media platform." French judicial authorities didn't respond to requests for comments. Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it has lodged a new complaint against X with the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office, It "targets the platform's policies that allow disinformation to flourish," RSF said, accusing the U.S. billionaire's company of repeated violations of the public's right to reliable information. "Disinformation campaigns are flooding X, some of which have accumulated several hundred thousand views. Although the staff at Elon Musk's platform are well aware of the situation, this has not stopped them from responding to RSF's repeated alerts with automated refusals to remove the content in question," RSF said. "This is a deliberate policy instated by X, and it is incompatible with the public's right to reliable information." ___ Associated Press reporter Kelvin Chan in London contributed to this story.

Elon Musk Ignores French Prosecutors, Widening Tech Rift With Europe

Prosecutors investigating his social media company, X, had summoned him for a meeting. His no-show reflected a broader dispute over regulation. Elon Musk ignored a summons to meet on Monday morning with Paris prosecutors investigating him and his social media company, X, deepening the standoff between the French judicial system and the American tech giant. Mr. Musk's no-show came more than two months after the French police had raided X's Paris premises as part of a long-running investigation by the cybercrime division of the Paris prosecutor's office. The prosecutors have been investigating X since January 2025 and they have spoken of looking into seven potential counts under French law, including accusations of complicity in distributing child sexual abuse imagery, producing content that denies crimes against humanity and fraudulent extraction of data. On the day of the raid in February, Mr. Musk was summoned to meet in April with the investigating judge and discuss the potential charges. Such an invitation is a regular part of a criminal investigation in the French system, during which people in Mr. Musk's position can "present their position on the facts and the compliance measures they plan to implement," the prosecutor's office said at the time. Mr. Musk's absence was expected after he aggressively denounced the investigation, calling it a "political attack." The prosecutor's office did not announce any immediate legal consequence for his failure to attend. Mr. Musk did not respond to a request for comment. The investigation started amid French concerns with X's algorithm, the digital process that organizes data on the platform, and then expanded after further accusations that Grok, X's A.I. chatbot, was spreading Holocaust denial claims and sexual deepfakes. After the raid in February, the company's global government affairs office said in a public statement that it "categorically denies any wrongdoing" and said that the investigation "distorts French law, circumvents due process, and endangers free speech." Separately, the company said in January that it had restricted Grok's image creation to avoid the spread of sexualized images. In a statement released on Monday, the Paris prosecutor's office said that Mr. Musk's absence "will not hinder the continuation of the investigation." It also said that the judiciary is independent as the "French Constitution guarantees the separation of powers." The case is at the heart of a broader dispute between American tech companies and European governments over the extent to which those companies should be held responsible for content on their platforms. The European Union has enacted sweeping digital regulations, threatening technology firms with fines unless they police their platforms for illicit content, misinformation and hate speech. In December, the European Union issued the first fine under its new Digital Services Act, fining X $140 million for violations. The following month, E.U. regulators announced an investigation into X over the spread of sexualized images generated by Grok. French authorities have shown a rare willingness to go after top tech executives, holding them personally liable for the behavior of platform users. The issue has become particularly tense under the Trump administration, which has spoken and acted increasingly aggressively against Europeans it associates with the push to regulate American tech firms. The dispute reflects a trans-Atlantic disagreement over how and whether to regulate social media. Europeans say their moves are an attempt to protect users from abusive content. The Trump administration calls the fines an unfair money grab from American companies and says the regulations are an attack on free speech. The United States has very few legal restrictions on speech. In France, there are criminal penalties for hate speech, Holocaust denial and glorification of terrorism.

Musk snubs Paris prosecutors in Grok child sexual images investigation as US DOJ refuses to assist

Summary: Elon Musk failed to appear for a voluntary interview with Paris prosecutors investigating Grok's generation of an estimated 23,000 sexualised images of children and 3 million sexualised images overall over an 11-day period, as the US DOJ refused to assist the French probe. The case, which covers five suspected criminal offences including complicity in child pornography, is one of more than a dozen international legal actions against xAI, while Paris prosecutors have separately alleged the deepfake crisis may have been orchestrated to boost the value of the SpaceX-xAI entity ahead of its planned $1.75 trillion IPO. Elon Musk failed to appear today for a voluntary interview with Paris prosecutors investigating Grok's generation of sexualised images, including an estimated 23,000 images appearing to depict children over an 11-day period in late December and early January. The Paris prosecutor's office told AFP it had "taken note" of the absence of those summoned. Linda Yaccarino, the former CEO of X, was also called to testify. Other X employees are scheduled to be heard as witnesses throughout this week. Weeks before the summons, Musk dubbed French authorities "retards" in a French-language post on X. He previously called the February police raid on X's Paris offices a "political attack." The US Department of Justice refused to assist the French investigation on 18 April, telling French law enforcement in a letter that "this investigation seeks to use the criminal legal system in France to regulate a public square for the free expression of ideas" and that it was contrary to the First Amendment. The Paris prosecutor's office responded that "the French constitution guarantees the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary." The case, led by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office, was opened in January 2025 after complaints alleging that X's algorithms were biased and used to interfere in French politics. It expanded in November 2025 to include five suspected criminal offences: complicity in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, distribution of sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity, manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organised group, and fraudulent data extraction. The deepfake charges centre on Grok's image generation capabilities, which allowed users to upload photographs of real women and girls and receive sexualised or nude versions without the subjects' consent. The Center for Countering Digital Hate estimated that Grok generated approximately 3 million sexualised images between 29 December 2025 and 8 January 2026, including roughly 23,000 that appeared to depict children. The rate peaked at 190 sexualised images per minute, or one child image every 41 seconds. Up to 41% of the 4.6 million total images Grok produced during that period contained sexual imagery of women, according to data cited in class action filings. The image generation feature had a troubled history before the crisis. xAI launched its Aurora model on 9 December 2024 but pulled it within hours after it generated photorealistic images of real people without safeguards. Grok's "spicy mode" generated explicit content by design. When Musk announced on 20 December 2025 that Grok could edit and generate images directly on X, abuse exploded. On 9 January 2026, xAI restricted image generation to paid subscribers. On 14 January, it said it had blocked nudification capabilities entirely. But retests by NBC News in February showed Grok was still producing sexualised images, and in March the Dutch organisation Offlimits demonstrated it could still generate a sexualised video of a real person from a single uploaded photograph. France is not acting alone. Malaysia and Indonesia became the first countries to block Grok entirely on 11 and 12 January. Japan's Cabinet Office summoned X Corp's Japanese subsidiary. The European Commission launched a formal investigation into X under the Digital Services Act in late January, ordering X and xAI to preserve all internal documents and technical data related to Grok until the end of 2026. The Amsterdam District Court ordered xAI to stop generating non-consensual nude images in the Netherlands on 26 March, with fines of EUR 100,000 per day for noncompliance. The UK's Information Commissioner and Ofcom both opened investigations. Switzerland's finance minister, Karin Keller-Sutter, filed criminal charges after Grok generated misogynistic abuse about her on X, the first time a serving head of a national finance ministry pursued criminal action against AI-generated content. In the United States, the Senate unanimously passed the DEFIANCE Act on 13 January, creating a federal civil cause of action allowing victims to sue for $150,000 to $250,000 per violation, though it still awaits House approval. California's attorney general launched an investigation and issued a cease and desist. Baltimore became the first US city to sue xAI. Three Tennessee teenagers filed a class action on 14 April alleging Grok generated pornographic deepfakes from their real photos, with the images spreading to Discord, Telegram, and the dark web. The lead class action, Jane Doe v. xAI Corp., was filed in the Northern District of California on 23 January. Paris prosecutors alerted the US DOJ and SEC in March, suggesting that the deepfake controversy "may have been deliberately orchestrated to artificially boost the value of the companies X and xAI" at a time when X was "clearly losing momentum." SpaceX acquired xAI in a $1.25 trillion merger on 2 February 2026. The combined entity filed a confidential draft registration statement with the SEC on 1 April for a June 2026 Nasdaq IPO targeting a $1.5 to $1.75 trillion valuation, with 21 banks enlisted to raise $50 to $75 billion. xAI's standalone financials before the merger showed $107 million in quarterly revenue and a $1.46 billion net loss. Grok has roughly 60 to 64 million monthly active users. A quarter of European organisations have banned Grok, compared with roughly 10% for ChatGPT and Gemini. The decision not to appear in Paris is consistent with Musk's broader posture toward European regulators. He has publicly considered pulling X out of the EU to avoid Digital Services Act compliance. X was previously found to be training Grok on user data without proper notification, likely breaching EU data protection rules. The Stanford AI Index, published this week, gave xAI a transparency score of 14 out of 100, among the lowest of any frontier model developer. The DOJ's refusal to cooperate with French prosecutors effectively shields Musk from the investigation's most immediate consequences. A voluntary interview carries no penalty for nonappearance under French law. But the investigation remains active, the charges are serious, and France can issue a European arrest warrant if prosecutors escalate the case. Musk cannot visit France or any EU country that would enforce such a warrant without risk. For a man who has built a $1.25 trillion entity on the premise that rules are obstacles to be overcome, the Paris prosecutor's office is presenting a test of whether that premise applies when the rules involve the sexual exploitation of children.

French prosecutors summon Elon Musk over alleged child abuse images on X

Owner of X summoned along with former CEO Linda Yaccarino over investigation by cybercrime unit into spread of deepfake content Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris, where investigators are looking into allegations of misconduct related to the social media platform X, including the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content. The world's richest man and Linda Yaccarino - the former chief executive of X - were on Monday summoned for "voluntary interviews", while other employees of the platform were scheduled to be heard as witnesses throughout this week, the Paris prosecutor's office said. It remains unclear whether Musk and Yaccarino will travel to Paris. A spokesperson for X did not respond to questions from Associated Press and Yaccarino's current company, eMed, did not answer a request sent to the press email. Musk was summoned after a search took place in February at the French premises of X as part of an investigation opened in January 2025 by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office. Musk and Yaccarino have been invited in their capacities as managers of X at the time of the events investigated. Yaccarino was CEO from May 2023 until July 2025. "These voluntary interviews with the executives are intended to allow them to present their position regarding the facts and, where appropriate, the compliance measures they plan to implement," prosecutors said. "At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the ultimate objective of ensuring that platform X complies with French law, insofar as it operates within the national territory." Asked whether Musk would risk sanctions if he skipped the hearing, the Paris prosecutor's office declined to comment. French authorities opened their investigation after reports from a French lawmaker alleging that biased algorithms on X likely distorted the functioning of an automated data processing system. It expanded after the platform's AI system, Grok , generated posts that allegedly denied the Holocaust, a crime in France, and spread sexually explicit deepfakes. The investigation is looking into alleged "complicity" in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organised group, among other charges. Grok, which was built by xAI and is available through X, sparked global outrage this year after it pumped out a torrent of sexualised nonconsensual deepfake images in response to requests from X users. Grok also wrote in a widely shared post in French that gas chambers at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp were designed for "disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus" rather than for mass murder - language long associated with Holocaust denial. In later posts on X, the chatbot reversed itself and acknowledged that its earlier reply was wrong, saying it had been deleted, and pointed to historical evidence that Zyklon B was used to kill more than 1 million people in Auschwitz gas chambers. In March, the Paris prosecutor's office alerted the US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) - the US federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing financial markets - suggesting "that the controversy surrounding sexually explicit deepfakes generated by Grok may have been deliberately orchestrated to artificially boost the value of the companies X and xAI - potentially constituting criminal offences," prosecutors said. The Paris prosecutor's office said this could have been done "ahead of the planned June 2026 stock market listing of the new entity formed by the merger of SpaceX and xAI, at a time when company X was clearly losing momentum". According to the Wall Street Journal, the justice department told French law enforcement authorities it would not facilitate their efforts to investigate Musk's X. The newspaper reported that the justice department's office of international affairs, in a two-page letter last week, accused the French of inappropriately using its justice system to interfere with an American business. "This investigation seeks to use the criminal legal system in France to regulate a public square for the free expression of ideas and opinions in a manner contrary to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution," said the letter quoted by the Wall Street Journal. The letter also said France's requests for US assistance "constitute an effort to entangle the United States in a politically charged criminal proceeding aimed at wrongfully regulating through prosecution the business activities of a social media platform". French judicial authorities did not respond to requests for comments.

French prosecutors summon Elon Musk over X's alleged "complicity" in spreading child abuse materials | Fortune

Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris on Monday, where investigators are looking into allegations of misconduct related to the social media platform X, including the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content. The world's richest man and Linda Yaccarino -- the former CEO of X -- have been summoned for "voluntary interviews," while other employees of the platform are scheduled to be heard as witnesses throughout this week, the Paris prosecutor's office said. It remains unclear whether Musk and Yaccarino will travel to Paris. A spokesperson for X did not respond to questions from The Associated Press and Yaccarino's current company, eMed, did not answer a request sent to the press email. French prosecutors also suspect that controversy around the platform's AI system Grok's deepfakes was concocted to boost the value of Musk-owned companies ahead of a key market listing, and alerted U.S. authorities. Musk welcomed a report that U.S. justice officials refused to help French investigators, posting on X, "This needs to stop." Musk was summoned after a search took place in February at the French premises of X as part of an investigation opened in January 2025 by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office. Musk and Yaccarino have been invited in their capacities as managers of X at the time of the events investigated. Yaccarino was CEO from May 2023 until July 2025. "These voluntary interviews with the executives are intended to allow them to present their position regarding the facts and, where appropriate, the compliance measures they plan to implement," prosecutors said. "At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the ultimate objective of ensuring that platform X complies with French law, insofar as it operates within the national territory." The Paris prosecutor's office said Musk and Yaccarino's potential no-show on Monday "is not an obstacle for investigations to continue." French authorities opened their investigation after reports from a French lawmaker alleging that biased algorithms on X likely distorted the functioning of an automated data processing system. It expanded after the AI system, Grok, generated posts that allegedly denied the Holocaust, a crime in France, and spread sexually explicit deepfakes. It's looking into alleged "complicity" in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organized group, among other charges. Grok, which was built by xAI and is available through X, sparked global outrage this year after it pumped out a torrent of sexualized nonconsensual deepfake images in response to requests from X users. Grok also wrote in a widely shared post in French that gas chambers at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp were designed for "disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus" rather than for mass murder -- language long associated with Holocaust denial. In later posts on X, the chatbot reversed itself and acknowledged that its earlier reply was wrong, saying it had been deleted, and pointed to historical evidence that Zyklon B was used to kill more than 1 million people in Auschwitz gas chambers. In March, the Paris prosecutor's office alerted the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) -- the U.S. federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing financial markets -- suggesting "that the controversy surrounding sexually explicit deepfakes generated by Grok may have been deliberately orchestrated to artificially boost the value of the companies X and xAI -- potentially constituting criminal offenses," prosecutors said. The Paris prosecutor's office said this could have been done "ahead of the planned June 2026 stock market listing of the new entity formed by the merger of Space X and xAI, at a time when company X was clearly losing momentum." According to the Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department told French law enforcement authorities it wouldn't facilitate their efforts to investigate Musk's X. The newspaper reported that the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, in a two-page letter last week, accused the French of inappropriately using its justice system to interfere with an American business. The letter also said France's requests for U.S. assistance "constitute an effort to entangle the United States in a politically charged criminal proceeding aimed at wrongfully regulating through prosecution the business activities of a social media platform." French judicial authorities didn't respond to requests for comments. The cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office has launched in recent years a series of investigations focusing on internet platforms' suspected illegal activities. French-language website Coco, which was cited in the landmark trial that turned Gisèle Pelicot into a global icon against sexual violence, closed in 2024 as its manager is accused of complicity in spreading child pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes, among other things. Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app, was handed preliminary charges and placed under judicial supervision for allegedly allowing criminal activity on the platform, including child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking. The Paris prosecutor's office opened last year an investigation into TikTok over allegations that the platform allows content promoting suicide and that its algorithms may encourage vulnerable young people to take their own lives. Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it has lodged a new complaint against X with the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office targeting "the platform's policies that allow disinformation to flourish." ___ Associated Press reporter Kelvin Chan in London contributed to this story.

A propos - Elon Musk snubs Paris prosecutors' summons over X and Grok

One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Elon Musk did not appear Monday for a voluntary interview with Paris prosecutors, who had issued the summons in February as part of an investigation into allegations that X's algorithm was used to interfere in French politics. The probe was later expanded to include dissemination of Holocaust denial and sexual deepfakes by X's AI chatbot Grok. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks with Professor Julia Hörnle, Chair of Internet Law at Queen Mary, University of London.

French prosecutors summon Elon Musk over allegations of child abuse images and deepfakes on X

PARIS -- Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris on Monday, where investigators are looking into allegations of misconduct related to the social media platform X, including the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content. The world's richest man and Linda Yaccarino -- the former CEO of X -- have been summoned for "voluntary interviews," while other employees of the platform are scheduled to be heard as witnesses throughout this week, the Paris prosecutor's office said. It remains unclear whether Musk and Yaccarino will travel to Paris. A spokesperson for X did not respond to questions from The Associated Press and Yaccarino's current company, eMed, did not answer a request sent to the press email. French prosecutors also suspect that controversy around the platform's AI system Grok's deepfakes was concocted to boost the value of Musk-owned companies ahead of a key market listing, and alerted U.S. authorities. Musk welcomed a report that U.S. justice officials refused to help French investigators, posting on X, "This needs to stop." Musk was summoned after a search took place in February at the French premises of X as part of an investigation opened in January 2025 by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office. Musk and Yaccarino have been invited in their capacities as managers of X at the time of the events investigated. Yaccarino was CEO from May 2023 until July 2025. "These voluntary interviews with the executives are intended to allow them to present their position regarding the facts and, where appropriate, the compliance measures they plan to implement," prosecutors said. "At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the ultimate objective of ensuring that platform X complies with French law, insofar as it operates within the national territory." The Paris prosecutor's office said Musk and Yaccarino's potential no-show on Monday "is not an obstacle for investigations to continue." French authorities opened their investigation after reports from a French lawmaker alleging that biased algorithms on X likely distorted the functioning of an automated data processing system. It expanded after the AI system, Grok, generated posts that allegedly denied the Holocaust, a crime in France, and spread sexually explicit deepfakes. It's looking into alleged "complicity" in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organized group, among other charges. Grok, which was built by xAI and is available through X, sparked global outrage this year after it pumped out a torrent of sexualized nonconsensual deepfake images in response to requests from X users. Grok also wrote in a widely shared post in French that gas chambers at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp were designed for "disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus" rather than for mass murder -- language long associated with Holocaust denial. In later posts on X, the chatbot reversed itself and acknowledged that its earlier reply was wrong, saying it had been deleted, and pointed to historical evidence that Zyklon B was used to kill more than 1 million people in Auschwitz gas chambers. In March, the Paris prosecutor's office alerted the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) -- the U.S. federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing financial markets -- suggesting "that the controversy surrounding sexually explicit deepfakes generated by Grok may have been deliberately orchestrated to artificially boost the value of the companies X and xAI -- potentially constituting criminal offenses," prosecutors said. The Paris prosecutor's office said this could have been done "ahead of the planned June 2026 stock market listing of the new entity formed by the merger of Space X and xAI, at a time when company X was clearly losing momentum." According to the Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department told French law enforcement authorities it wouldn't facilitate their efforts to investigate Musk's X. The newspaper reported that the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, in a two-page letter last week, accused the French of inappropriately using its justice system to interfere with an American business. The letter also said France's requests for U.S. assistance "constitute an effort to entangle the United States in a politically charged criminal proceeding aimed at wrongfully regulating through prosecution the business activities of a social media platform." French judicial authorities didn't respond to requests for comments. The cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office has launched in recent years a series of investigations focusing on internet platforms' suspected illegal activities. French-language website Coco, which was cited in the landmark trial that turned Gisèle Pelicot into a global icon against sexual violence, closed in 2024 as its manager is accused of complicity in spreading child pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes, among other things. Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app, was handed preliminary charges and placed under judicial supervision for allegedly allowing criminal activity on the platform, including child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking. The Paris prosecutor's office opened last year an investigation into TikTok over allegations that the platform allows content promoting suicide and that its algorithms may encourage vulnerable young people to take their own lives. Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it has lodged a new complaint against X with the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office targeting "the platform's policies that allow disinformation to flourish.''

Will Elon Musk appear before the French courts?

The billionaire is being summoned on Monday by the Paris public prosecutor's office as part of an investigation into his social network X and its AI tool Grok, which are suspected of algorithmic manipulation to interfere in the French political debate. The billionaire owner of the social network X has been summoned on Monday for a "voluntary interview" at the Paris prosecutor's office, as part of an investigation into his platform. Authorities are examining allegations that X's algorithm may have been used to influence political discourse in France. The investigation has since been extended to include content generated by the Grok chatbot, developed by xAI and integrated into X. The investigations covers posts that allegedly promoted Holocaust denial as well as the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes, including child sexual abuse material. Linda Yaccarino, who served as CEO of X from May 2023 to July 2025, has also been summoned as part of these proceedings. "The purpose of these voluntary hearings of executives is to allow them to present their position regarding the facts and, where appropriate, the compliance measures they plan to put in place", the prosecutors said. "At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the ultimate aim of ensuring that the network X complies with French law, insofar as it operates on French territory." In early February, X's Paris offices were searched. The company, which denies any wrongdoing, denounced the operation as "politicised" and an "abusive judicial act". The Paris public prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, also said that employees of X were summoned as witnesses between 20 and 24 April. On Saturday, the prosecutor's office clarified that the failure of those summoned to appear would in no way "hinder the continuation of the investigation." The investigation was launched following reports from an MP and the head of a public cybersecurity body. It concerns the possible manipulation of X's algorithm in order to influence the French public debate, as well as the illicit use of personal data for targeted advertising. The investigations gained momentum after the dissemination of a message generated by Grok claiming that the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau had been_"designed for disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus"_, a thesis associated with Holocaust denial. In further publications on X, the chatbot retracted its statements, acknowledging an error and referring to historical evidence establishing that Zyklon B was used to kill more than a million people in the gas chambers at Auschwitz. According to several reports, Grok also generated and distributed pornographic images of minors and non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes in response to user requests. The abuses attributed to Grok are taking place against a backdrop of increased international surveillance. According to the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a non-profit monitoring organisation, the tool generated around three million sexualised images in eleven days, mainly of women, but also 23,000 appearing to depict children. In the UK, the data regulator opened an investigation into X and xAI in February, citing "serious concerns" about compliance with personal data laws. The European Union has also launched an investigation into the production of sexual deepfakes of women and minors. In March, the Paris public prosecutor's office alerted the US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) - the US federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing financial markets - suggesting "that the controversy surrounding the sexually explicit deepfakes generated by Grok may have been deliberately orchestrated to artificially inflate the value of companies X and xAI", which could constitute a criminal offence. According to the French authorities, this strategy could have been implemented ahead of the planned IPO in June 2026 of the new entity resulting from the merger of SpaceX and xAI, at a time when X was losing momentum. However, the Wall Street Journal reports that the US Department of Justice has indicated that it does not wish to cooperate with the French authorities, accusing the investigation of constituting an attempt to interfere in an American company protected by the First Amendment. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has also filed a new complaint against X with the cybercrime unit of the Paris public prosecutor's office. It "targets the platform's policies that allow disinformation to spread", said RSF, accusing the American billionaire's company of repeated violations of the public's right to reliable information.

Elon Musk is summoned to Paris over allegations of child sexual abuse images on X

The reason for summoning Musk Musk was summoned after a search took place in February at the French premises of X as part of an investigation opened in January 2025 by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office. Musk and Yaccarino have been invited in their capacities as managers of X at the time of the events investigated. Yaccarino was CEO from May 2023 until July 2025. "These voluntary interviews with the executives are intended to allow them to present their position regarding the facts and, where appropriate, the compliance measures they plan to implement," prosecutors said. "At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the ultimate objective of ensuring that platform X complies with French law, insofar as it operates within the national territory." The Paris prosecutor's office said Musk and Yaccarino's potential no-show on Monday "is not an obstacle for investigations to continue." What is being investigated French authorities opened their investigation after reports from a French lawmaker alleging that biased algorithms on X likely distorted the functioning of an automated data processing system. It expanded after the AI system, Grok, generated posts that allegedly denied the Holocaust, a crime in France, and spread sexually explicit deepfakes. It's looking into alleged "complicity" in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organized group, among other charges. Grok, which was built by xAI and is available through X, sparked global outrage this year after it pumped out a torrent of sexualized nonconsensual deepfake images in response to requests from X users. Grok also wrote in a widely shared post in French that gas chambers at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp were designed for "disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus" rather than for mass murder -- language long associated with Holocaust denial. In later posts on X, the chatbot reversed itself and acknowledged that its earlier reply was wrong, saying it had been deleted, and pointed to historical evidence that Zyklon B was used to kill more than 1 million people in Auschwitz gas chambers. French prosecutors alert U.S. authorities In March, the Paris prosecutor's office alerted the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) -- the U.S. federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing financial markets -- suggesting "that the controversy surrounding sexually explicit deepfakes generated by Grok may have been deliberately orchestrated to artificially boost the value of the companies X and xAI -- potentially constituting criminal offenses," prosecutors said. The Paris prosecutor's office said this could have been done "ahead of the planned June 2026 stock market listing of the new entity formed by the merger of Space X and xAI, at a time when company X was clearly losing momentum."

French prosecutors summon Elon Musk over allegations of child abuse images and deepfakes on X

PARIS (AP) -- Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris on Monday, where investigators are looking into allegations of misconduct related to the social media platform X, including the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content. The world's richest man and Linda Yaccarino -- the former CEO of X -- have been summoned for "voluntary interviews," while other employees of the platform are scheduled to be heard as witnesses throughout this week, the Paris prosecutor's office said. It remains unclear whether Musk and Yaccarino will travel to Paris. A spokesperson for X did not respond to questions from The Associated Press and Yaccarino's current company, eMed, did not answer a request sent to the press email. French prosecutors also suspect that controversy around the platform's AI system Grok's deepfakes was concocted to boost the value of Musk-owned companies ahead of a key market listing, and alerted U.S. authorities. Musk welcomed a report that U.S. justice officials refused to help French investigators, posting on X, "This needs to stop." The reason for summoning Musk Musk was summoned after a search took place in February at the French premises of X as part of an investigation opened in January 2025 by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office. Musk and Yaccarino have been invited in their capacities as managers of X at the time of the events investigated. Yaccarino was CEO from May 2023 until July 2025. "These voluntary interviews with the executives are intended to allow them to present their position regarding the facts and, where appropriate, the compliance measures they plan to implement," prosecutors said. "At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the ultimate objective of ensuring that platform X complies with French law, insofar as it operates within the national territory." Asked whether Musk would risk sanctions if he skipped the hearing, the Paris prosecutor's office declined to comment. What is being investigated French authorities opened their investigation after reports from a French lawmaker alleging that biased algorithms on X likely distorted the functioning of an automated data processing system. It expanded after the AI system, Grok, generated posts that allegedly denied the Holocaust, a crime in France, and spread sexually explicit deepfakes. It's looking into alleged "complicity" in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organized group, among other charges. Grok, which was built by xAI and is available through X, sparked global outrage this year after it pumped out a torrent of sexualized nonconsensual deepfake images in response to requests from X users. Grok also wrote in a widely shared post in French that gas chambers at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp were designed for "disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus" rather than for mass murder -- language long associated with Holocaust denial. In later posts on X, the chatbot reversed itself and acknowledged that its earlier reply was wrong, saying it had been deleted, and pointed to historical evidence that Zyklon B was used to kill more than 1 million people in Auschwitz gas chambers. French prosecutors alert U.S. authorities In March, the Paris prosecutor's office alerted the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) -- the U.S. federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing financial markets -- suggesting "that the controversy surrounding sexually explicit deepfakes generated by Grok may have been deliberately orchestrated to artificially boost the value of the companies X and xAI -- potentially constituting criminal offenses," prosecutors said. The Paris prosecutor's office said this could have been done "ahead of the planned June 2026 stock market listing of the new entity formed by the merger of Space X and xAI, at a time when company X was clearly losing momentum." Justice Department brushes off French call According to the Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department told French law enforcement authorities it wouldn't facilitate their efforts to investigate Musk's X. The newspaper reported that the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, in a two-page letter last week, accused the French of inappropriately using its justice system to interfere with an American business. The letter also said France's requests for U.S. assistance "constitute an effort to entangle the United States in a politically charged criminal proceeding aimed at wrongfully regulating through prosecution the business activities of a social media platform." French judicial authorities didn't respond to requests for comments. Reporters Without Borders' lawsuit Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it has lodged a new complaint against X with the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office targeting "the platform's policies that allow disinformation to flourish." "Disinformation campaigns are flooding X, some of which have accumulated several hundred thousand views. Although the staff at Elon Musk's platform are well aware of the situation, this has not stopped them from responding to RSF's repeated alerts with automated refusals to remove the content in question," RSF said. "This is a deliberate policy instated by X, and it is incompatible with the public's right to reliable information." ___ Associated Press reporter Kelvin Chan in London contributed to this story.

French prosecutors summon Elon Musk over sexualised AI deepfakes on X

French prosecutors on Monday summoned tech billionaire Elon Musk for a voluntary interview over allegations that the AI feature Grok disseminated millions of sexualised deepfakes on his X social media platform. It is unclear whether Musk will attend the interview. Billionaire Elon Musk has been summoned for a voluntary interview in Paris on Monday as part of a French probe into his social media platform X, though it remains unclear if he will appear. French authorities issued a summons for Musk in February as part of an investigation, launched in January 2025, into allegations that X's algorithm was used to interfere in French politics. The probe was later expanded to include an investigation into X's AI chatbot Grok's dissemination of Holocaust denials and sexual deepfakes. In early February, French prosecutors searched the Paris offices of X, in what the social media giant - which has denied any wrongdoing - slammed as "politicised" raids and an "abusive judicial act". At the time, Paris prosecutors also summoned Musk and then-CEO Linda Yaccarino for voluntary interviews as the "de facto and de jure managers of the X platform at the time of the events", a move Musk called a "political attack". Yaccarino resigned as CEO of X in July last year after two years at the helm of the company. In February, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said X employees had also been summoned to appear between April 20 and 24 "to be heard as witnesses". But whether or not those invited for voluntary questioning appear would not be "an obstacle to the continuation of the investigation", the Paris prosecutor's office said on Saturday. Officials have not offered any details on the location or time of Musk's scheduled interview. The French investigation focuses on several suspected criminal offences including complicity in possessing child sexual abuse material and denial of crimes against humanity. The social media company in July called the probe "politically motivated". 'Serious concerns' The French investigation comes as part of a broader international backlash against Grok after it emerged that users could sexualise images of women and children using simple text prompts such as "put her in a bikini" or "remove her clothes". Watch moreGlobal anger over Grok undressing women online It generated an estimated three million sexualised images - mostly of women, though also 23,000 that appeared to depict children - in 11 days, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit watchdog, said in late January. In a separate investigation, Britain's data regulator in February launched investigations into Musk's X and xAI over "serious concerns" regarding whether the companies complied with personal data laws when it came to Grok's generation of sexualised deepfakes. In late January, the European Union also hit X with a probe over Grok's generation of sexualised deepfake images of women and minors.

French prosecutors summon Elon Musk over allegations of child abuse images and deepfakes on X

PARIS (AP) -- Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris on Monday, where investigators are looking into allegations of misconduct related to the social media platform X, including the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content. The world's richest man and Linda Yaccarino -- the former CEO of X -- have been summoned for "voluntary interviews," while other employees of the platform are scheduled to be heard as witnesses throughout this week, the Paris prosecutor's office said. It remains unclear whether Musk and Yaccarino will travel to Paris. A spokesperson for X did not respond to questions from The Associated Press and Yaccarino's current company, eMed, did not answer a request sent to the press email. French prosecutors also suspect that controversy around the platform's AI system Grok's deepfakes was concocted to boost the value of Musk-owned companies ahead of a key market listing, and alerted U.S. authorities. Musk welcomed a report that U.S. justice officials refused to help French investigators, posting on X, "This needs to stop." The reason for summoning Musk Musk was summoned after a search took place in February at the French premises of X as part of an investigation opened in January 2025 by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office. Musk and Yaccarino have been invited in their capacities as managers of X at the time of the events investigated. Yaccarino was CEO from May 2023 until July 2025. "These voluntary interviews with the executives are intended to allow them to present their position regarding the facts and, where appropriate, the compliance measures they plan to implement," prosecutors said. "At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the ultimate objective of ensuring that platform X complies with French law, insofar as it operates within the national territory." The Paris prosecutor's office said Musk and Yaccarino's potential no-show on Monday "is not an obstacle for investigations to continue." What is being investigated French authorities opened their investigation after reports from a French lawmaker alleging that biased algorithms on X likely distorted the functioning of an automated data processing system. It expanded after the AI system, Grok, generated posts that allegedly denied the Holocaust, a crime in France, and spread sexually explicit deepfakes. It's looking into alleged "complicity" in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organized group, among other charges. Grok, which was built by xAI and is available through X, sparked global outrage this year after it pumped out a torrent of sexualized nonconsensual deepfake images in response to requests from X users. Grok also wrote in a widely shared post in French that gas chambers at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp were designed for "disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus" rather than for mass murder -- language long associated with Holocaust denial. In later posts on X, the chatbot reversed itself and acknowledged that its earlier reply was wrong, saying it had been deleted, and pointed to historical evidence that Zyklon B was used to kill more than 1 million people in Auschwitz gas chambers. French prosecutors alert U.S. authorities In March, the Paris prosecutor's office alerted the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) -- the U.S. federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing financial markets -- suggesting "that the controversy surrounding sexually explicit deepfakes generated by Grok may have been deliberately orchestrated to artificially boost the value of the companies X and xAI -- potentially constituting criminal offenses," prosecutors said. The Paris prosecutor's office said this could have been done "ahead of the planned June 2026 stock market listing of the new entity formed by the merger of Space X and xAI, at a time when company X was clearly losing momentum." Justice Department brushes off French call According to the Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department told French law enforcement authorities it wouldn't facilitate their efforts to investigate Musk's X. The newspaper reported that the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, in a two-page letter last week, accused the French of inappropriately using its justice system to interfere with an American business. The letter also said France's requests for U.S. assistance "constitute an effort to entangle the United States in a politically charged criminal proceeding aimed at wrongfully regulating through prosecution the business activities of a social media platform." French judicial authorities didn't respond to requests for comments. Investigations launched into several internet platforms The cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office has launched in recent years a series of investigations focusing on internet platforms' suspected illegal activities. French-language website Coco, which was cited in the landmark trial that turned Gisèle Pelicot into a global icon against sexual violence, closed in 2024 as its manager is accused of complicity in spreading child pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes, among other things. Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app, was handed preliminary charges and placed under judicial supervision for allegedly allowing criminal activity on the platform, including child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking. The Paris prosecutor's office opened last year an investigation into TikTok over allegations that the platform allows content promoting suicide and that its algorithms may encourage vulnerable young people to take their own lives. Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it has lodged a new complaint against X with the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office targeting "the platform's policies that allow disinformation to flourish." ___ Associated Press reporter Kelvin Chan in London contributed to this story.

Musk Summoned by French Prosecutor in X Probe, Unclear if He Will Comply

A view shows the Paris' courthouse building as Elon Musk, the owner of X and a host of other tech companies, is summoned for a hearing before prosecutors' offices as part of their investigation into social media platform X at the courthouse in Paris, France, April 20, 2026. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq PARIS, April 20 (Reuters) - Tech billionaire Elon Musk was ⁠due ⁠to appear before French prosecutors ⁠for questioning on Monday, as part of an investigation into X and its AI chatbot Grok that is set to further strain relations between the U.S. and Europe over Big Tech and free speech. It was not clear if Musk would attend the hearing. The date was ⁠set in ⁠February when the Paris prosecutor's cybercrime unit raided the French office of the social media platform in a probe related to fraudulent data extraction. It was later expanded to include suspected complicity in the distribution of child pornography and the creation of sexual deepfakes by Grok. While attendance at Monday's hearing is mandatory, the authorities at this stage cannot ⁠compel ⁠Musk to appear. Reuters could ⁠not reach representatives for Musk ahead of the summons. In July, Musk denied the initial accusations and said French prosecutors were ⁠launching a "politically-motivated criminal investigation". The Paris prosecutor's office declined to comment. X has come under scrutiny from regulators and governments in several countries since Musk's takeover of the platform, with authorities examining issues including content moderation, data practices and compliance with local laws. Prosecutors have said the investigation ⁠centres on whether X's algorithms distorted the treatment of content on the platform ⁠and whether the company improperly extracted user data, after complaints from French lawmakers and advocacy groups. In a sign of the potential for the investigation to worsen already tense relations with Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the U.S. Justice Department sent a letter to the Paris prosecutor saying it would not cooperate in the probe, which it viewed as politically motivated. The Paris prosecutor said it had no knowledge of such a letter, and added that "the French constitution ⁠guarantees the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary." Former X CEO Linda Yaccarino and several other X staff have also been summoned as witnesses for questioning. After such a hearing, authorities can decide to either shelve or continue the probe, and potentially place suspects under formal investigation. (Reporting by Dominique Patton and Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Kate Mayberry)

France summons Elon Musk over X probe

Paris (France) (AFP) - Billionaire Elon Musk has been summoned for a voluntary interview in Paris on Monday as part of a French probe into his social media platform X, though it remains unclear if he will appear. French authorities issued a summons for Musk in February as part of an investigation, launched in January 2025, into allegations that X's algorithm was used to interfere in French politics. The probe was later expanded to include an investigation into X's AI chatbot Grok's dissemination of Holocaust denials and sexual deepfakes. In early February, French prosecutors searched the Paris offices of X, in what the social media giant -- which has denied any wrongdoing -- slammed as "politicized" raids and an "abusive judicial act". At the time, Paris prosecutors also summoned Musk and then-CEO Linda Yaccarino for voluntary interviews as the "de facto and de jure managers of the X platform at the time of the events", a move Musk called a "political attack". Yaccarino resigned as CEO of X in July last year after two years at the helm of the company. In February, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said X employees had also been summoned to appear between April 20 and 24 "to be heard as witnesses". But whether or not those invited for voluntary questioning appear would not be "an obstacle to the continuation of the investigation," the Paris prosecutor's office said on Saturday. Officials have not offered any details on the location or time of Musk's scheduled interview. The French investigation focuses on several suspected criminal offences including complicity in possessing child sexual abuse material and denial of crimes against humanity. The social media company in July called the probe "politically motivated". -'Serious concerns'- The French investigation comes as part of a broader international backlash against Grok after it emerged that users could sexualise images of women and children using simple text prompts such as "put her in a bikini" or "remove her clothes". It generated an estimated three million sexualised images -- mostly of women, though also 23,000 that appeared to depict children -- in 11 days, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit watchdog, said in late January. In a separate investigation, Britain's data regulator in February launched investigations into Musk's X and xAI over "serious concerns" regarding whether the companies complied with personal data laws when it came to Grok's generation of sexualised deepfakes. In late January, the European Union also hit X with a probe over Grok's generation of sexualised deepfake images of women and minors.

Elon Musk skips hearing in French probe of X - The Economic Times

Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Monday did not appear at a summons for questioning in a French probe into X and its AI chatbot, Grok, over alleged abuse of algorithms and fraudulent data extraction, the Paris prosecutor's office said.Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Monday did not appear at a summons for questioning in a French probe into X and its AI chatbot, Grok, over alleged abuse of algorithms and fraudulent data extraction, the Paris prosecutor's office said. The investigation, which has been expanded in past months to include suspected complicity in the distribution of child pornography and the creation of sexual deepfakes by Grok, has added to strains in relations between the U.S. and Europe over Big Tech and free speech. The April 20 summons date was set in ⁠February, when ⁠the Paris prosecutor's cybercrime unit raided the French office of Musk's social-media platform, X. "The prosecutor's office notes the absence of the first individuals who were summoned. Their presence or absence does not hinder the continuation of the investigation," the prosecutor's statement said, without mentioning Musk by name. While attendance at Monday's hearing was mandatory, the authorities at this stage could not compel Musk, the world's richest person, to appear. Reuters could not reach representatives for Musk ahead of the summons. In July, Musk denied the initial accusations and said French prosecutors were launching a "politically-motivated criminal investigation." X has come under scrutiny from regulators and governments in ⁠several countries since Musk's 2023 takeover of the platform, previously known as Twitter, with authorities examining issues including content moderation, data practices and compliance with local laws. Prosecutors have said the French investigation centres on allegations that X's algorithms ⁠distorted the treatment of content on the platform, that it improperly extracted user data and that it violated individuals' rights with sexually explicit deepfakes. Transatlantic divide In a sign of the potential for the investigation to worsen already tense relations with Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the US Justice Department sent a letter to the Paris prosecutor saying it would not cooperate in the probe, which it viewed as politically motivated. The Paris prosecutor said it had no knowledge of such a letter, and added that "the French constitution guarantees the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary." Musk had been summoned for a "voluntary interview" - requested when authorities want to question someone without arresting that person. Prosecutors have no authority to use force to compel the person to appear, but if the person fails to respond to the summons, they may decide to place them in police custody. "It is preferable to justify one's refusal ⁠and ensure that it is not perceived as an obstacle to the investigation," said criminal defence lawyer Julia Bombardier. "For example, by ensuring that certain representatives are interviewed." Former X CEO Linda Yaccarino and several other X staff have also been summoned as witnesses for questioning. The French cybercrime unit leading the X investigation unit previously arrested Telegram founder Pavel Durov in 2024 over charges including complicity in organised crime carried out on the messaging app, charges his lawyer has described as "absurd." Durov posted on X early Monday morning that "France is losing legitimacy as it weaponises criminal investigations to suppress free speech and privacy." US President Donald Trump has often accused Europe of treating US big tech companies unfairly through the use of fines, taxes and regulation.

French Prosecutors Summon Elon Musk Over Allegations of Child Abuse Images and Deepfakes on X

PARIS (AP) -- Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris on Monday, where investigators are looking into allegations of misconduct related to the social media platform X, including the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content. The world's richest man and Linda Yaccarino -- the former CEO of X -- have been summoned for "voluntary interviews," while other employees of the platform are scheduled to be heard as witnesses throughout this week, the Paris prosecutor's office said. It remains unclear whether Musk and Yaccarino will travel to Paris. A spokesperson for X did not respond to questions from The Associated Press and Yaccarino's current company, eMed, did not answer a request sent to the press email. The reason for summoning Musk Musk was summoned after a search took place in February at the French premises of X as part of an investigation opened in January 2025 by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office. Musk and Yaccarino have been invited in their capacities as managers of X at the time of the events investigated. Yaccarino was CEO from May 2023 until July 2025. "These voluntary interviews with the executives are intended to allow them to present their position regarding the facts and, where appropriate, the compliance measures they plan to implement," prosecutors said. "At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the ultimate objective of ensuring that platform X complies with French law, insofar as it operates within the national territory." Asked whether Musk would risk sanctions if he skipped the hearing, the Paris prosecutor's office declined to comment. What is being investigated French authorities opened their investigation after reports from a French lawmaker alleging that biased algorithms on X likely distorted the functioning of an automated data processing system. It expanded after the platform's AI system, Grok, generated posts that allegedly denied the Holocaust, a crime in France, and spread sexually explicit deepfakes. It's looking into alleged "complicity" in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organized group, among other charges. Grok, which was built by xAI and is available through X, sparked global outrage this year after it pumped out a torrent of sexualized nonconsensual deepfake images in response to requests from X users. Grok also wrote in a widely shared post in French that gas chambers at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp were designed for "disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus" rather than for mass murder -- language long associated with Holocaust denial. In later posts on X, the chatbot reversed itself and acknowledged that its earlier reply was wrong, saying it had been deleted, and pointed to historical evidence that Zyklon B was used to kill more than 1 million people in Auschwitz gas chambers. French prosecutors alert U.S. authorities In March, the Paris prosecutor's office alerted the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) -- the U.S. federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing financial markets -- suggesting "that the controversy surrounding sexually explicit deepfakes generated by Grok may have been deliberately orchestrated to artificially boost the value of the companies X and xAI -- potentially constituting criminal offenses," prosecutors said. The Paris prosecutor's office said this could have been done "ahead of the planned June 2026 stock market listing of the new entity formed by the merger of Space X and xAI, at a time when company X was clearly losing momentum." Justice Department brushes off French call According to the Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department told French law enforcement authorities it wouldn't facilitate their efforts to investigate Musk's X. The newspaper reported that the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, in a two-page letter last week, accused the French of inappropriately using its justice system to interfere with an American business. "This investigation seeks to use the criminal legal system in France to regulate a public square for the free expression of ideas and opinions in a manner contrary to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution," said the letter quoted by The Wall Street Journal. The letter also said France's requests for U.S. assistance "constitute an effort to entangle the United States in a politically charged criminal proceeding aimed at wrongfully regulating through prosecution the business activities of a social media platform." French judicial authorities didn't respond to requests for comments. Reporters Without Borders' lawsuit Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it has lodged a new complaint against X with the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office, It "targets the platform's policies that allow disinformation to flourish," RSF said, accusing the U.S. billionaire's company of repeated violations of the public's right to reliable information. "Disinformation campaigns are flooding X, some of which have accumulated several hundred thousand views. Although the staff at Elon Musk's platform are well aware of the situation, this has not stopped them from responding to RSF's repeated alerts with automated refusals to remove the content in question," RSF said. "This is a deliberate policy instated by X, and it is incompatible with the public's right to reliable information." ___ Associated Press reporter Kelvin Chan in London contributed to this story.

French prosecutors summon Elon Musk over allegations of child abuse images, deepfakes on X

PARIS - Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris on Monday, where investigators are looking into allegations of misconduct related to the social media platform X, including the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content. The world's richest man and Linda Yaccarino - the former CEO of X - have been summoned for "voluntary interviews," while other employees of the platform are scheduled to be heard as witnesses throughout this week, the Paris prosecutor's office said. It remains unclear whether Musk and Yaccarino will travel to Paris. A spokesperson for X did not respond to questions from The Associated Press and Yaccarino's current company, eMed, did not answer a request sent to the press email.The reason for summoning Musk Musk was summoned after a search took place in February at the French premises of X as part of an investigation opened in January 2025 by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office. Musk and Yaccarino have been invited in their capacities as managers of X at the time of the events investigated. Yaccarino was CEO from May 2023 until July 2025. "These voluntary interviews with the executives are intended to allow them to present their position regarding the facts and, where appropriate, the compliance measures they plan to implement," prosecutors said. "At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the ultimate objective of ensuring that platform X complies with French law, insofar as it operates within the national territory." Asked whether Musk would risk sanctions if he skipped the hearing, the Paris prosecutor's office declined to comment.What is being investigated French authorities opened their investigation after reports from a French lawmaker alleging that biased algorithms on X likely distorted the functioning of an automated data processing system. It expanded after the platform's AI system, Grok, generated posts that allegedly denied the Holocaust, a crime in France, and spread sexually explicit deepfakes. It's looking into alleged "complicity" in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organized group, among other charges. Grok, which was built by xAI and is available through X, sparked global outrage this year after it pumped out a torrent of sexualized nonconsensual deepfake images in response to requests from X users. Grok also wrote in a widely shared post in French that gas chambers at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp were designed for "disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus" rather than for mass murder - language long associated with Holocaust denial. In later posts on X, the chatbot reversed itself and acknowledged that its earlier reply was wrong, saying it had been deleted, and pointed to historical evidence that Zyklon B was used to kill more than 1 million people in Auschwitz gas chambers.French prosecutors alert US authorities In March, the Paris prosecutor's office alerted the US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) - the US federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing financial markets - suggesting "that the controversy surrounding sexually explicit deepfakes generated by Grok may have been deliberately orchestrated to artificially boost the value of the companies X and xAI - potentially constituting criminal offenses," prosecutors said. The Paris prosecutor's office said this could have been done "ahead of the planned June 2026 stock market listing of the new entity formed by the merger of Space X and xAI, at a time when company X was clearly losing momentum."Justice Department brushes off French call According to the Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department told French law enforcement authorities it wouldn't facilitate their efforts to investigate Musk's X. The newspaper reported that the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, in a two-page letter last week, accused the French of inappropriately using its justice system to interfere with an American business. "This investigation seeks to use the criminal legal system in France to regulate a public square for the free expression of ideas and opinions in a manner contrary to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution," said the letter quoted by The Wall Street Journal. The letter also said France's requests for US assistance "constitute an effort to entangle the United States in a politically charged criminal proceeding aimed at wrongfully regulating through prosecution the business activities of a social media platform." French judicial authorities didn't respond to requests for comments.Reporters Without Borders' lawsuit Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it has lodged a new complaint against X with the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office, It "targets the platform's policies that allow disinformation to flourish," RSF said, accusing the U.S. billionaire's company of repeated violations of the public's right to reliable information. "Disinformation campaigns are flooding X, some of which have accumulated several hundred thousand views. Although the staff at Elon Musk's platform are well aware of the situation, this has not stopped them from responding to RSF's repeated alerts with automated refusals to remove the content in question," RSF said. "This is a deliberate policy instated by X, and it is incompatible with the public's right to reliable information."

France Summons Elon Musk Over Deepfake Probe on X

Deepfake investigation into X (formerly Twitter) intensifies as French prosecutors call Elon Musk, spotlighting gaps in moderation, Grok-linked risks, and the widening debate on platform liability in Europe. A French prosecutor has reached out to Elon Musk over serious allegations that X facilitated the spread of AI-generated deepfakes. This also raises doubts about the effectiveness of the platform's safety measures. The latest development highlights the growing determination of European authorities to tackle tech firms, especially those operating social media platforms, over their responsibilities for AI governance, content regulation, and liability.

French prosecutors summon Elon Musk over allegations of child abuse images and deepfakes on X

Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris on Monday, where investigators are looking into allegations of misconduct related to the social media platform X, including the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content. The world's richest man and Linda Yaccarino -- the former CEO of X -- have been summoned for "voluntary interviews," while other employees of the platform are scheduled to be heard as witnesses throughout this week, the Paris prosecutor's office said. It remains unclear whether Musk and Yaccarino will travel to Paris. A spokesperson for X did not respond to questions from The Associated Press and Yaccarino's current company, eMed, did not answer a request sent to the press email. Musk was summoned after a search took place in February at the French premises of X as part of an investigation opened in January 2025 by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office. Musk and Yaccarino have been invited in their capacities as managers of X at the time of the events investigated. Yaccarino was CEO from May 2023 until July 2025. "These voluntary interviews with the executives are intended to allow them to present their position regarding the facts and, where appropriate, the compliance measures they plan to implement," prosecutors said. "At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the ultimate objective of ensuring that platform X complies with French law, insofar as it operates within the national territory." Asked whether Musk would risk sanctions if he skipped the hearing, the Paris prosecutor's office declined to comment. French authorities opened their investigation after reports from a French lawmaker alleging that biased algorithms on X likely distorted the functioning of an automated data processing system. It expanded after the platform's AI system, Grok, generated posts that allegedly denied the Holocaust, a crime in France, and spread sexually explicit deepfakes. It's looking into alleged "complicity" in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organized group, among other charges. Grok, which was built by xAI and is available through X, sparked global outrage this year after it pumped out a torrent of sexualized nonconsensual deepfake images in response to requests from X users. Grok also wrote in a widely shared post in French that gas chambers at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp were designed for "disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus" rather than for mass murder -- language long associated with Holocaust denial. In later posts on X, the chatbot reversed itself and acknowledged that its earlier reply was wrong, saying it had been deleted, and pointed to historical evidence that Zyklon B was used to kill more than 1 million people in Auschwitz gas chambers. In March, the Paris prosecutor's office alerted the US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) -- the US federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing financial markets -- suggesting "that the controversy surrounding sexually explicit deepfakes generated by Grok may have been deliberately orchestrated to artificially boost the value of the companies X and xAI -- potentially constituting criminal offenses," prosecutors said. The Paris prosecutor's office said this could have been done "ahead of the planned June 2026 stock market listing of the new entity formed by the merger of Space X and xAI, at a time when company X was clearly losing momentum." According to the Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department told French law enforcement authorities it wouldn't facilitate their efforts to investigate Musk's X. The newspaper reported that the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, in a two-page letter last week, accused the French of inappropriately using its justice system to interfere with an American business. "This investigation seeks to use the criminal legal system in France to regulate a public square for the free expression of ideas and opinions in a manner contrary to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution," said the letter quoted by The Wall Street Journal. The letter also said France's requests for US assistance "constitute an effort to entangle the United States in a politically charged criminal proceeding aimed at wrongfully regulating through prosecution the business activities of a social media platform." French judicial authorities didn't respond to requests for comments. Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it has lodged a new complaint against X with the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office, It "targets the platform's policies that allow disinformation to flourish," RSF said, accusing the U.S. billionaire's company of repeated violations of the public's right to reliable information. "Disinformation campaigns are flooding X, some of which have accumulated several hundred thousand views. Although the staff at Elon Musk's platform are well aware of the situation, this has not stopped them from responding to RSF's repeated alerts with automated refusals to remove the content in question," RSF said. "This is a deliberate policy instated by X, and it is incompatible with the public's right to reliable information."

Elon Musk does not appear at hearing in French prosecutors' X probe

PARIS, April 20 (Reuters) - Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Monday did not appear at a summons for questioning in a French probe into X and its AI chatbot, Grok, over alleged abuse of algorithms and fraudulent data extraction, the Paris prosecutor's office said. The investigation, which has been expanded in past months to include suspected complicity in the distribution of child pornography and the creation of sexual deepfakes by Grok, has added to strains in relations between the U.S. and Europe over Big Tech and free speech. The April 20 summons date was set in February, when the Paris prosecutor's cybercrime unit raided the French office of Musk's social-media platform, X. "The prosecutor's office notes the absence of the first individuals who were summoned. Their presence or absence does not hinder the continuation of the investigation," the prosecutor's statement said, without mentioning Musk by name. While attendance at Monday's hearing was mandatory, the authorities at this stage could not compel Musk, the world's richest person, to appear. Reuters could not reach representatives for Musk ahead of the summons. In July, Musk denied the initial accusations and said French prosecutors were launching a "politically-motivated criminal investigation." X has come under scrutiny from regulators and governments in several countries since Musk's 2023 takeover of the platform, previously known as Twitter, with authorities examining issues including content moderation, data practices and compliance with local laws. Prosecutors have said the French investigation centres on allegations that X's algorithms distorted the treatment of content on the platform, that it improperly extracted user data and that it violated individuals' rights with sexually explicit deepfakes. TRANSATLANTIC DIVIDE In a sign of the potential for the investigation to worsen already tense relations with Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the U.S. Justice Department sent a letter to the Paris prosecutor saying it would not cooperate in the probe, which it viewed as politically motivated. The Paris prosecutor said it had no knowledge of such a letter, and added that "the French constitution guarantees the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary." Musk had been summoned for a "voluntary interview" -- requested when authorities want to question someone without arresting that person. Prosecutors have no authority to use force to compel the person to appear, but if the person fails to respond to the summons, they may decide to place them in police custody. "It is preferable to justify one's refusal and ensure that it is not perceived as an obstacle to the investigation," said criminal defence lawyer Julia Bombardier. "For example, by ensuring that certain representatives are interviewed." Former X CEO Linda Yaccarino and several other X staff have also been summoned as witnesses for questioning. The French cybercrime unit leading the X investigation unit previously arrested Telegram founder Pavel Durov in 2024 over charges including complicity in organised crime carried out on the messaging app, charges his lawyer has described as "absurd." Durov posted on X early Monday morning that "France is losing legitimacy as it weaponizes criminal investigations to suppress free speech and privacy." U.S. President Donald Trump has often accused Europe of treating U.S. big tech companies unfairly through the use of fines, taxes and regulation. (Reporting by Dominique Patton and Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Richard Lough, Kate Mayberry, Susan Fenton and Ethan Smith)

Musk summoned by French prosecutor in X probe, unclear if he will comply

PARIS, April 20 (Reuters) - Tech billionaire Elon Musk was due to appear before French prosecutors for questioning on Monday, as part of an investigation into X and its AI chatbot Grok that is set to further strain relations between the U.S. and Europe over Big Tech and free speech. It was not clear if Musk would attend the hearing. The date was set in February when the Paris prosecutor's cybercrime unit raided the French office of the social media platform in a probe related to fraudulent data extraction. It was later expanded to include suspected complicity in the distribution of child pornography and the creation of sexual deepfakes by Grok. While attendance at Monday's hearing is mandatory, the authorities at this stage cannot compel Musk to appear. Reuters could not reach representatives for Musk ahead of the summons. In July, Musk denied the initial accusations and said French prosecutors were launching a "politically-motivated criminal investigation". The Paris prosecutor's office declined to comment. X has come under scrutiny from regulators and governments in several countries since Musk's takeover of the platform, with authorities examining issues including content moderation, data practices and compliance with local laws. Prosecutors have said the investigation centres on whether X's algorithms distorted the treatment of content on the platform and whether the company improperly extracted user data, after complaints from French lawmakers and advocacy groups. In a sign of the potential for the investigation to worsen already tense relations with Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the U.S. Justice Department sent a letter to the Paris prosecutor saying it would not cooperate in the probe, which it viewed as politically motivated. The Paris prosecutor said it had no knowledge of such a letter, and added that "the French constitution guarantees the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary." Former X CEO Linda Yaccarino and several other X staff have also been summoned as witnesses for questioning. After such a hearing, authorities can decide to either shelve or continue the probe, and potentially place suspects under formal investigation. (Reporting by Dominique Patton and Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Kate Mayberry)