In France, prosecutors have conducted a raid of X’s Paris offices as it looks into the company’s Grok AI. The artificial intelligence tool has faced heavy criticism for the ease with which it allows sexually explicit images to be created.
This is not the only investigation that is being conducted into Grok which has been controversial since it launched. The creation of nude images of celebrities, fake news, and misleading information are among the many things that have generated complaints.
This time around, French prosecutors have a particular interest in Grok’s production of child pornography, Holocaust denial, and fraudulent extraction of data. The European Commission is already looking into various aspects of X and associated products, including seeking more information about how its algorithm works.
The Paris Prosecutor’s office posted a news release on LinkedIn explaining what has happened:
THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
Paris, February 3, 2026
Press release
A search was carried out today at the French premises of Platform X, as part of the investigation opened in January 2025 by the cybercrime unit of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, with the Gendarmerie’s UNCyber unit and in the presence of Europol.
Concurrently, summonses for voluntary interviews on April 20, 2026 in Paris were sent to Mr. Elon MUSK and Ms. Linda YACARINO, in their capacity as de facto and de jure managers of Platform X at the time of the events. Employees of Platform X are also summoned during the week of April 20-24, 2026, to be heard as witnesses. The voluntary interviews with the executives are intended to allow them to explain their position on the events and, if applicable, the compliance measures being considered.
This investigation is being conducted at this stage in a constructive manner, with the ultimate goal of ensuring Platform X’s compliance with French law, given that it operates within the national territory.
As a reminder, this investigation was opened following two reports received on January 12, 2025. On July 9, 2025, the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office entrusted the investigation to the Directorate General of the National Gendarmerie (DGGN). The investigation was expanded following further reports denouncing Grok’s operations on Platform X, which led to the dissemination of Holocaust denial content and sexually explicit deepfakes. The investigation concerns the following criminal offenses:
• complicity in the possession of child pornography images of minors
• complicity in the organized distribution, offering, or making available of child pornography images of minors
• defamation of a person’s image (sexual deepfakes)
• denial of crimes against humanity (Holocaust denial)
• fraudulent extraction of data from an automated data processing system by an organized group
• falsification of the operation of an automated data processing system by an organized group
• administration of an illegal online platform by an organized group.
Laure BECCUAU, Public Prosecutor
Image credit: L9871456 / Dreamstime.com
