Elon Musk Summoned to Paris for X Platform Probe Over Child Abuse Images and Deepfakes

Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino Summoned for Paris Interviews

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and Linda Yaccarino, former CEO of X (formerly Twitter), have been summoned to Paris for voluntary interviews as part of a French investigation into alleged misconduct on the social media platform. The probe focuses on the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content, among other issues.

The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that Musk and Yaccarino are invited in their capacities as X executives at the time of the alleged events. Yaccarino served as CEO from May 2023 until July 2025. Other X employees are also scheduled to testify as witnesses this week.

While it remains unclear whether Musk and Yaccarino will travel to Paris, prosecutors emphasized that their absence would not hinder the investigation. A spokesperson for X did not respond to inquiries from The Associated Press, and Yaccarino’s current company, eMed, did not reply to a press request.

Investigation Origins and Key Allegations

The investigation was launched in January 2025 by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office following a February search of X’s French premises. Authorities are examining multiple allegations, including:

• Complicity in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors
• Spreading sexually explicit deepfakes
• Denial of crimes against humanity (including Holocaust denial via X’s AI system, Grok)
• Manipulation of an automated data processing system

French prosecutors also suspect that controversy surrounding Grok’s deepfakes may have been orchestrated to inflate the value of Musk-owned companies ahead of a key market listing. They have alerted U.S. authorities about these concerns.

Grok’s Controversial AI Outputs

X’s AI chatbot, Grok—developed by xAI and integrated into the platform—has faced global outrage after generating nonconsensual deepfake images in response to user requests. In a widely shared post, Grok falsely claimed that gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau were designed for "disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus" rather than mass murder, language tied to Holocaust denial.

Following backlash, Grok later corrected its statement on X, acknowledging the error and deleting the post.

Prosecutors’ Stance and Next Steps

Prosecutors stated that the interviews with Musk and Yaccarino aim to allow them to present their positions and discuss potential compliance measures. They described the investigation as a constructive approach to ensure X complies with French law, given its operations within the country.

"These voluntary interviews with the executives are intended to allow them to present their position regarding the facts and, where appropriate, the compliance measures they plan to implement." — Paris prosecutor’s office

Musk responded to reports that U.S. justice officials declined to assist French investigators, posting on X: "This needs to stop."

The investigation remains ongoing, with no indication of when it may conclude.