1 month ago
Elon Musk was summoned for a proceeding successful Paris connected Monday arsenic portion of a probe into X and alleged irregularities astir its algorithms arsenic good arsenic its AI instrumentality Grok’s domiciled successful nan dissemination of Holocaust denial contented and sexually definitive deepfakes.
There was nary connection connected whether nan tech tycoon would be aliases skip nan voluntary interview, which will beryllium followed by hearings crossed nan week pinch different labor of X’s operations successful France. French media suggested Musk was expected to beryllium a nary show but his absence has not been confirmed arsenic yet.
The Paris Prosecutor publically announced successful early February that it had summoned nan X proprietor and erstwhile X CEO Linda Yaccarino, who stepped down successful July 2025, for a voluntary question and reply connected April 20 arsenic portion of nan cybercrime probe.
February’s summons followed a ambush nan aforesaid time connected X’s French HQ successful Paris by a constabulary cybercrime unit, successful business pinch European crime agency Europol.
The ambush and hearings are portion of an investigation launched successful nan aftermath of a January 2025 study by French leader Éric Bothorel raising concerns complete X’s algorithms and suggesting they influenced automated information processing systems.
The investigation was expanded successful February to see nan creation and dissemination by X’s Grok chatbot of Holocaust denial worldly arsenic good arsenic millions of sexualized images.
The second type of contented exploded connected X from precocious December 2025 to early January 2026, pinch nan preamble of a caller editing function. Following a backlash complete nan material, X introduced restrictions truthful that Grok would nary longer beryllium capable to edit images of existent group to show them undressed aliases successful revealing clothes.
X responded to news of nan summons successful February pinch a station saying nan investigation was politically motivated.
Over nan weekend, nan Wall Street Journal reported that nan U.S. Justice Department had declined to assistance French rule enforcement successful its investigation into X, suggesting nan probe was an effort to rein successful free speech.
“This investigation seeks to usage nan criminal ineligible strategy successful France to modulate a nationalist quadrate for nan free look of ideas and opinions successful a mode contrary to nan First Amendment of nan United States Constitution,” publication nan letter, quoted by WSJ.
Musk has besides garnered support from Pavel Durov, laminitis of nan ultra-private messaging App Telegram, who is besides successful nan crosshairs of nan French authorities.
“Macron’s France is losing legitimacy arsenic it weaponizes criminal investigations to suppress free reside and privacy,” Durov wrote connected a station connected X, noting nan U.S. Department of Justice’s refusal to get involved.
Durov was detained successful France successful August 2024 and charged successful narration to Telegram’s deficiency of contented moderation astir criminal activities specified arsenic money laundering and supplier trafficking connected nan App.
He was allowed to time off nan state successful March 2025, returning to Dubai wherever he has been based since 2014, aft falling foul of Russia for refusing to handover information for protesters successful demonstrations against pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych successful 2014.
“I’m nether a akin investigation successful France: complete a twelve charges, each carrying up to 10 years successful prison. Proud to guidelines alongside Elon Musk and others targeted by Macron’s run against integer rights. In Macron’s France, being investigated is nan caller Légion d’honneur,” wrote Durov successful Monday’s post.
French leader Bothorel, whose study sparked France’s first investigation into X, dismissed Durov’s post.
“Lesson No. 1 successful immoderate superior populist — including nan alleged “Pays des lumières”: free reside is not absolute. And thankfully so. Otherwise, it would conscionable beryllium a shield for insults, threats, and disinformation,” he wrote.
