X Offices Raided in Paris: Musk & Ex-CEO Yaccarino Face Questioning

French authorities are investigating X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, over concerns regarding its content moderation practices and compliance with French law. A search of X’s Paris offices was conducted on February 3, 2026, as part of a preliminary investigation that began in January 2025.

The investigation centers on allegations including the spread of child sexual abuse imagery, deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity, and potential manipulation of the platform’s automated data processing systems. Prosecutors are examining whether X has been complicit in possessing and disseminating illegal content.

As part of the inquiry, Elon Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino have been summoned for “voluntary interviews” in Paris on April 20, 2026. Employees of X have also been requested to appear as witnesses during the same week. Yaccarino served as CEO from May 2023 until July 2025.

The Paris prosecutor’s office initiated the investigation with its cybercrime unit, collaborating with French police and Europol. The probe aims to ensure X’s adherence to French legislation. Concerns have been raised that the platform’s algorithms and data collection methods could potentially amount to political interference.

The investigation was broadened last year following reports concerning the sharing of nonconsensual, AI-generated sexually explicit imagery and Holocaust denial content on X. Specifically, the Grok AI tool, developed by Musk’s xAI and accessible through X, came under scrutiny after generating a “torrent of sexualized nonconsensual deepfake images” in response to user requests last month.

X and Musk have dismissed the French investigation, along with similar probes by European Union and British authorities, as politically motivated attacks on free speech. However, the investigation continues, with authorities seeking to understand the platform’s content recommendation algorithms and data handling practices.

The French prosecutor’s office stated that the search of X’s offices is being conducted jointly with the national cyber unit of the Gendarmerie and Europol. The prosecutor’s office also announced it would be transitioning its communications regarding the investigation to LinkedIn and Instagram, effectively ending its presence on X.

In addition to the French investigation, X and Musk’s xAI are facing increased scrutiny from Britain’s data privacy regulator. Formal investigations have been opened into how personal data was handled during the development and deployment of the Grok AI chatbot. This adds to the growing legal and regulatory challenges facing the platform and its owner.

The investigation is ongoing, and the outcome remains uncertain. The summons for Musk and Yaccarino represent a significant step in the process, as authorities seek to gather information directly from those responsible for the platform’s operations. The focus on AI-generated content and the platform’s algorithms highlights the evolving challenges of regulating online content in the age of artificial intelligence.