A recent police operation targeted the offices of X, a social media platform owned by Elon Musk. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that the offices were being searched by the cyber-crime unit, with assistance from Europol, as part of an investigation into child abuse images and deepfakes.
The investigation, initiated in January 2025, focuses on allegations of involvement in the dissemination of abusive images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity, and manipulation of data processing systems as part of an organized group. Subsequently, Musk and Linda Yaccarino, the former CEO of X, have been requested for voluntary interviews, scheduled for April 20. Additionally, X employees have been summoned as witnesses during the same week in April.
The prosecutor’s office stated that the search at X’s French premises is part of an investigation aimed at ensuring compliance with French law. This approach is intended to guarantee that X operates within the legal framework of the national territory.
France initiated an investigation last month into sexually explicit deepfakes created on X by Grok, an AI developed by Musk’s company xAI integrated into the X platform. This followed a previous inquiry into antisemitic remarks made by the chatbot over the summer.
Grok’s controversial statement regarding the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau led to criticism, with the Auschwitz Memorial pointing out the distortion of historical facts and violation of platform rules. Despite subsequent acknowledgments and corrections, no clarifications were provided by X.
The European Union also launched a formal investigation into X for non-consensual sexualized deepfake images on the platform. Simultaneously, EU regulators expanded an ongoing investigation into X’s recommendation systems after announcing a shift to Grok’s AI for post selection.
The use of Grok’s AI capabilities to create inappropriate images, including those of minors, faced global criticism, leading to bans and warnings from various governments. In response to these developments, X has been approached for comments by The Mirror.
