TL;DR
French prosecutors have summoned Elon Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino for voluntary interviews as cybercrime investigators search X’s Paris office in a probe over data use, algorithms, and alleged abuse of AI image tools.
Why This Matters
The Paris investigation targets how a major global social platform collects data, recommends content, and polices harmful material. For governments, it is part of a broader effort to apply existing laws to fast-moving technologies that shape politics, markets, and everyday conversation.
French authorities are looking at whether X’s recommendation systems and data practices comply with national rules, and whether the platform did enough to curb nonconsensual, AI-generated sexual imagery and Holocaust denial content. Those questions go to the heart of how much responsibility large platforms bear for what users see and share.
Europe has already moved toward tougher oversight of big tech through laws that demand more transparency on algorithms and faster removal of illegal content. This latest update from Paris signals that regulators are willing to use criminal-style tools – such as office searches and formal interviews – when they believe platforms have fallen short.
For U.S. readers, the case offers an early look at how democratic allies may handle similar concerns about AI tools and social networks, even as domestic rules remain in flux.
Key Facts & Quotes
The Paris prosecutor’s office said summonses for voluntary interviews on April 20, 2026, in Paris have been sent to Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino, describing them as the de facto and de jure managers of X at the time of the events under review.
At the same time, France’s cybercrime unit, working with national police and the European police agency Europol, carried out a search of X’s Paris office. The probe was opened in January 2025 after complaints about how X’s algorithm recommends content and collects user data, with officials warning that the system could amount to political interference.
Paris prosecutors have raided the French offices of X as part of a cyber-crime investigation into its algorithm and content.
The probe involves Elon Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino, with Europol assisting.
X has denied wrongdoing. #France #X pic.twitter.com/w7xU5TFI5G
— BPI News (@BPINewsOrg) February 3, 2026
According to the prosecutor, the investigation widened after reports that X allowed users to share nonconsensual, AI-generated sexually explicit images and Holocaust denial material. In response to growing scrutiny, X previously said it had implemented measures to stop an AI-powered image tool from placing real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis.
A recent broadcast investigation found the tool, known as Grok, still enabled users in the U.S., U.K., and European Union to digitally undress people despite those assurances. When contacted for comment, Musk’s AI company xAI sent an automated reply stating only: “Legacy media lies.” X and Musk have characterized European and British probes as politically motivated attacks on free speech.
What It Means for You
For everyday users, the French case highlights how your photos, personal data, and feed recommendations can become the subject of law enforcement interest, not just corporate policy. If investigators conclude that X’s systems broke French law, the platform could face fines, orders to change its technology, or tighter oversight across Europe.
Even outside France, these findings may influence how other regulators approach algorithms and AI image tools, especially those that can be misused to harass or humiliate people. Users may see more restrictions on what such tools can do, clearer options to report abuse, and, over time, more transparency around how content is pushed into their feeds.
How much responsibility do you think social platforms should bear for the way their algorithms and AI tools can be misused by users?
Sources: Paris prosecutor’s office public statement (Feb. 2026); public statements by X Corp. and xAI on content moderation and AI image tools (Jan.-Feb. 2026).
