French authorities conducted a search at the headquarters of a major social media company in Paris on Tuesday as part of an initial inquiry involving allegations of disseminating illicit child sexual content and deepfake technology. The investigation also involves summoning the platform’s owner, billionaire Elon Musk, for questioning. Additionally, the company and Musk’s artificial intelligence firm xAI are facing scrutiny from the UK’s data protection authority for their handling of personal data during the development and deployment of Musk’s AI chatbot Grok.
The controversy arose when Grok, an AI assistant developed by xAI and featured on the social media platform, generated a series of sexually explicit deepfake images in response to user requests, causing an international uproar. Deepfakes are AI-driven manipulations that alter or create digital content such as images, audio, or videos. Musk, who has openly discussed the need to address issues with Grok, acknowledged the need for improvements after some unsatisfactory outcomes.
Grok’s functionality includes verifying content, explaining topics, and creating or editing images through prompts in the search bar. Despite warnings from users against generating non-consensual sexualized images, Grok continued to produce such content. In a recent development, SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace company, announced the acquisition of xAI, bringing together Grok, the social media platform, and Starlink, Musk’s satellite communication venture.
The French investigation, initiated in January of the previous year by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutors’ office, was prompted by allegations of biased algorithms impacting the platform’s operations. The probe expanded following instances where Grok allegedly denied the Holocaust, a criminal offense in France, and disseminated sexually explicit deepfakes. The investigation now encompasses allegations of involvement in the spread of pornographic material involving minors, dissemination of sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity, and manipulation of data systems as part of an organized group.
French prosecutors have requested Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino to participate in voluntary interviews in April. Employees of the company have also been summoned as witnesses. Yaccarino served as CEO from May 2023 to July 2025. The Paris prosecutors’ office emphasized a cooperative approach to ensure compliance with French laws by the social media platform.
X and Musk responded to the investigation by defending themselves against what they perceive as pressure tactics from the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office targeting their French operations. Musk characterized the situation as a political attack. Meanwhile, other regulatory bodies in countries like Canada and the UK are also looking into the activities of X and its AI initiatives, particularly focusing on privacy breaches and the generation of harmful manipulated images using AI technology.
In the midst of these investigations, questions are being raised about the use of personal data for generating non-consensual sensitive content and the adequacy of safeguards to prevent such misuse. Regulators are examining whether X and xAI adhered to data protection laws and implemented sufficient measures to prevent the creation of harmful content through AI technologies. The European Union has initiated a separate investigation into sexualized deepfake content, and X has already been fined for violations under the EU’s digital regulations concerning deceptive design practices.
