French prosecutors have carried out searches at the Paris offices of Elon Musk’s social media platform X as part of an investigation into suspected cybercrime and alleged abuses linked to the platform’s operation. The action was confirmed on Tuesday by the Paris prosecutor’s office, which said the searches were being conducted by its cybercrime unit with the support of the national police cyber division and Europol.

The investigation was formally opened in January 2025 after a French lawmaker filed a complaint alleging that biased algorithms on X may have distorted the functioning of an automated data processing system. According to prosecutors, the probe has since widened considerably and now examines possible complicity in several serious offences. These include the dissemination of child sexual abuse material, the spread of sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity, and the manipulation of automated data systems by an organised group.

As part of the proceedings, Elon Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino have been summoned for voluntary questioning. Prosecutors said summonses were sent for interviews scheduled for April 20, 2026, in Paris, noting that both were being questioned in their capacity as de facto and de jure managers of the platform at the time of the alleged events. Yaccarino stepped down as CEO in July last year after roughly two years in the role.

The case was initially triggered by a complaint from centre-right MP Éric Bothorel, who voiced concern over what he described as significant algorithmic changes following Musk’s acquisition of the platform in 2022. Bothorel warned that these changes, along with what he called apparent interference in the company’s management, could have skewed content recommendations and data processing. Other complaints echoed these concerns, arguing that the adjustments had led to an increase in aggressive or “nauseating” political content and raised suspicions of foreign interference.

Prosecutors later broadened the investigation after receiving reports related to the behaviour of X’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, developed by Musk’s company xAI and integrated into the platform. According to the authorities, Grok was accused of generating content that included Holocaust denial and facilitating the creation or dissemination of sexually explicit deepfakes. In November, Paris prosecutors said they were examining Grok after it produced French-language posts questioning the use of gas chambers at Auschwitz. More recently, the chatbot has drawn international criticism for allowing the creation of non-consensual sexual material involving women and children.

In a separate but related development, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced that it would no longer use X as a communication channel. It said it would instead publish updates via LinkedIn and Instagram, citing the ongoing situation.

X has not issued an immediate response to the searches. However, the company said last summer that it did not intend to comply with certain requests from French authorities related to the inquiry. At the time, it described the investigation as politically motivated, rejected accusations of algorithm manipulation and fraudulent data extraction, and argued that the case amounted to a misuse of French law to advance a political agenda and restrict freedom of expression. The platform said it would continue to defend its rights, protect user data and oppose what it views as political censorship.