The Paris prosecutor’s office has noted that Elon Musk did not attend a voluntary interview scheduled for April 20 as part of an investigation into his platform, X. French authorities are probing the platform following a raid by the cyber-crime unit in February, which focused on suspected criminal offenses related to content on the site.
Elon Musk: what to know
Details of the Investigation
The investigation into X was initially launched in January 2025, prompted by concerns regarding the platform’s recommended content and allegations that its algorithm interfered with French politics. The scope of the investigation expanded to include issues surrounding X’s chatbot, Grok, particularly its potential use in creating non-consensual sexual deepfake images.
French prosecutors have indicated that the investigation includes a variety of suspected offenses, such as:
- Complicity in possession or organized distribution of child sexual abuse material
- Infringement of people’s image rights through sexual deepfakes
- Suspected fraudulent data extraction by an organized group
In a statement, the Paris prosecutor’s office mentioned that the absence of summoned individuals does not hinder the progress of the investigation.
Response from Musk and X
Musk has previously characterized the investigation as a “political attack.” Following the report that the U.S. Justice Department would not assist French authorities, Musk commented on X, stating, “indeed, this needs to stop.” His failure to attend the interview is not the first instance of him not appearing before authorities; he also missed a court-ordered appearance in Los Angeles in September 2024 related to an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) concerning his acquisition of Twitter.
X has consistently denied any wrongdoing, labeling the allegations as “baseless.” The company has expressed its commitment to defending its rights and the rights of its users, criticizing the investigation as a distortion of French law that threatens free speech.
Linda Yaccarino, the former CEO of X, was also summoned for a voluntary interview in Paris. She has echoed Musk’s sentiments, accusing French prosecutors of conducting a “political vendetta against Americans.”
The investigation into X continues, with regulatory and legal actions being pursued against the platform and its parent company, xAI, across various jurisdictions, including the UK and EU.