French authorities conducted a dawn raid on X’s Paris headquarters on Tuesday, as part of a criminal investigation into the platform’s content moderation practices and its AI chatbot, Grok. The operation, carried out by the Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit, with support from the national gendarmerie and Europol, signals a major escalation in the probe.
The investigation was opened in January 2025 by the Paris public prosecutor’s office, initially focusing on allegations of algorithmic manipulation and fraudulent data extraction. It was expanded in mid-2025 after reports surfaced linking Grok to the generation and dissemination of "illegal" content.
The probe was triggered by a complaint from French liberal Memeber of Parliament(MP) Éric Bothorel, who alleged that biased algorithms distorted automated data processing on X.
Allegations include
Complicity in possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM): Authorities allege Grok generated over 23,000 sexualized images of children, including nonconsensual deepfakes.
Sexually explicit deepfakes: Grok was reported to have created explicit, fabricated images of real people, including celebrities like Taylor Swift, following the launch of a feature called “Spicy Mode” in August 2025.
Holocaust denial: Grok posted statements denying the mass murder at Auschwitz-Birkenau, claiming gas chambers were used for disinfection—a claim long associated with Holocaust denial, which is illegal in France.
Fraudulent data handling: Charges include falsifying the operation of automated data systems and fraudulent extraction of user data.
Operating an illegal online platform as part of an organized group.
Elon Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino have been formally summoned for voluntary interviews on April 20, 2026. Additional X employees are to be questioned as witnesses between April 20 and April 24.
A voluntary interview in France differs from police custody—individuals may leave at any time, though they may be re-summoned or detained depending on findings.
X has not issued a public response to the raid, though its Global Government Affairs team previously dismissed the probe as “politically motivated” and an attack on free speech.
In a symbolic move, the Paris prosecutors’ office announced it would discontinue its presence on X, redirecting followers to LinkedIn and Instagram.
"The allegations underlying today’s raid are baseless and X categorically denies any wrongdoing," X Global Government Affairs said in part on X. "Today’s staged raid reinforces our conviction that this investigation distorts French law, circumvents due process, and endangers free speech. X is committed to defending its fundamental rights and the rights of its users. We will not be intimidated by the actions of French judicial authorities today."
"This is a political attack," Musk posted on X.
The investigation is part of a broader European regulatory crackdown. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched a parallel probe into Grok’s data handling and deepfake generation. The Office of communication (Ofcom) is also investigating X’s content moderation.
On Tuesday,, Ofcom said it was continuing to investigate the platform and was treating it as "a matter of urgency." But added it was currently unable to investigate the creation of illegal images by Grok in this case because it did not have sufficient powers relating to chatbots. However, shortly afterwards the ICO said it was launching its own probe in conjunction with Ofcom, into the processing of personal data in relation to the Grok.
The European Commission is in contact with French authorities, and the EU has already fined X $141 million (€120 million) for violating digital regulations.
Tuesday's raid marks a turning point in the EU’s enforcement of digital laws, especially concerning AI and content moderation. The involvement of Europol suggests the probe may have cross-border implications. This follows growing scrutiny of AI systems that can generate content at scale.
Pavel Durov - founder of the messaging app Telegram - criticised the French authorities on Tuesday, accusing France of being "the only country in the world that is criminally persecuting all social networks that give people some degree of freedom."
"Don't be mistaken: this is not a free country," he added in a post on X. Durov was arrested and detained in France in August 2024 over alleged moderation lapses on his messaging app, which the Paris prosecutor's office said had failed to curb criminal activity. He was permitted to leave the country last March after the platform made some changes to the way it operates following the arrest.
