A Paris inquiry into X widened to include algorithmic interference and deepfake dissemination; Musk faces voluntary questioning as investigators seek clarity on platform practices.

French prosecutors have summoned American billionaire Elon Musk for a voluntary interview on Monday as part of the investigation into his platform X.

Details about the meeting’s location and time have not been officially disclosed.

The formal summons to Musk was sent in February as part of an investigation that began in January 2025 concerning allegations of using the X algorithm to interfere in French politics.

Subsequently, the investigation broadened – additionally examining materials distributed via the Grok chatbot that deny the Holocaust, and cases of sexual deepfakes.

Timeline of events and the sides’ positions

“Musk called it a ‘political attack’.”

– Musk

In early February, searches were carried out at X’s Paris offices, which the company described as “politicized” raids and “abusive procedural actions”.

Then the Paris prosecutor’s office also summoned Musk and then-CEO Linda Yaccarino for voluntary interviews as the “actual and legal heads of the X platform at the time of the events”.

Yaccarino left the post of X’s chief executive in July of the previous year after two years in the role.

In February, Paris prosecutor Laura Becco said that X employees were also summoned to testify from April 20 to 24.

The Paris prosecutor’s office also noted that attendance for a voluntary interview is not a mandatory condition for continuing the investigation.

The investigation focuses on suspicions of criminal offenses, including involvement in the possession of materials depicting sexual violence against children and denial of crimes against humanity.

The company X described the investigation as “politically motivated”.

In January, the European Commission announced an official investigation into the Grok chatbot under the Digital Services Act after the service was used to create fake photos and videos of real people, including women and children.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities continue gathering evidence as part of the inquiry.