French Police Storm X Offices Over Child Pornography Allegations

According to Ireporter Online, French prosecutors have conducted a raid on the Paris offices of X, the social media platform owned by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, as part of a criminal investigation into the alleged circulation of illegal content and the misuse of the platform’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok.

The search was carried out on Tuesday by the cybercrime division of the Paris prosecutor’s office, marking a significant escalation in ongoing inquiries into how the platform manages prohibited material. Authorities are reportedly examining whether X failed to adequately prevent the spread of unlawful content and whether its systems played a role in facilitating such activities.

As part of the investigation, prosecutors have summoned Musk and the platform’s former chief executive, Linda Yaccarino, to appear before investigators in April. Both are expected to respond to questions regarding their oversight and potential responsibility in connection with the alleged offences linked to the platform.

Investigators initially opened the case in January 2025, focusing on how X’s recommendation algorithms promoted certain categories of content to users. The scope of the probe was later broadened to include Grok, following widespread controversy over the chatbot’s ability to generate manipulated images using real photographs without consent, raising serious concerns over violations of personal image rights.

When prosecutors expanded the investigation in July 2025, X described the move as an infringement on free expression, characterising the inquiry as politically driven. The company also denied any wrongdoing, insisting it did not deliberately manipulate its algorithms or enable illegal activity.

Findings gathered by reporters indicate that French prosecutors are assessing multiple potential offences, including alleged complicity in the distribution of illegal images, breaches of individual image rights through manipulated content, and suspected organised data exploitation. In a related development, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced it would no longer communicate via X, opting instead to use LinkedIn and Instagram for official updates.

The controversy surrounding Grok triggered international criticism after users discovered the chatbot could be exploited to produce non-consensual manipulated images. Advocacy groups, victims, and European lawmakers strongly condemned the platform’s response, prompting X to restrict the feature following sustained public pressure.

Regulatory scrutiny has since widened beyond France. The European Commission launched a separate investigation into xAI, X’s parent company, in late January, while UK media regulator Ofcom had earlier initiated its own review into similar concerns.

Reacting to the raid, Telegram founder Pavel Durov publicly criticised French authorities, accusing the country of aggressively targeting digital platforms that allow broader freedom of expression. In a post shared online, Durov described France as hostile to open communication, a claim that reignited debate over government oversight of social media companies.

Durov himself was arrested in France in August 2024 over allegations that Telegram failed to sufficiently curb criminal activities on its platform. He was later allowed to leave the country after the company reportedly agreed to comply with lawful data requests from authorities.

The latest raid underscores France’s increasingly strict stance on regulating global technology firms, with prosecutors opting to pursue criminal liability against senior executives rather than relying solely on financial penalties. It remains uncertain whether Musk will honour the April summons, as the tech mogul has previously disregarded similar legal requests from governments.