Elon Musk Summoned for Voluntary Interview in Paris
Elon Musk has been summoned by French authorities for a voluntary interview on Monday as part of their ongoing investigation into his platform X. It remains uncertain whether the tech billionaire will attend the session.
The offices of X were raided in February by the Paris prosecutor's cyber-crime unit amid suspicions of criminal offenses linked to content hosted on the platform.
The investigation, initiated in 2025, was broadened to include concerns regarding the use of X's controversial chatbot, Grok, in generating non-consensual sexual deepfake imagery.
When approached for comment, X referred the BBC to a prior statement by Musk, in which he described the probe as a
"political attack".
This development follows a report by the Wall Street Journal on Saturday stating that the US Justice Department sent a letter to French authorities refusing to assist in their investigation of X. The Department also accused French officials of misusing the US justice system, according to the Journal.
Musk responded to a post about the report on X, writing
"indeed, this needs to stop".
If Musk does not appear for the interview in Paris on Monday—a date set by prosecutors in February—it would not be his first absence from legal proceedings. In September 2024, he failed to attend a court-ordered appearance in Los Angeles related to a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation into his Twitter acquisition.
The BBC has sought comments from both the Paris prosecutor's office and the US Justice Department.
Increased Scrutiny on X Platform
French prosecutors began investigating X in January 2025 after receiving reports raising concerns about the platform's recommended content.
The inquiry was expanded due to worries about content generated by Grok, particularly its capacity to edit images of women and reportedly some children shared on X to produce non-consensual sexual deepfakes.
This investigation has triggered a series of regulatory and legal actions against X and its parent company xAI across the UK, EU, and globally.
In February, Paris prosecutors announced they were investigating X for multiple suspected offenses, including complicity in possession or organized distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), infringement of individuals' image rights through sexual deepfakes, and suspected fraudulent data extraction by an organized group.
X has consistently denied any wrongdoing, labeling the allegations as
"baseless".
At the time, the company issued a statement saying:
"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."
Linda Yaccarino, X's former chief executive, was also summoned for a voluntary interview in Paris alongside Musk in April. She held her position during the period when prosecutors allege the suspected offenses occurred.
Yaccarino echoed Musk's criticism of the raid and summons, previously accusing French prosecutors of conducting
"a political vendetta against Americans"in a post on X.
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