Overview
- Paris prosecutors opened a judicial criminal investigation Thursday and asked judges to place X.AI Holdings, X Corp, xAI, Elon Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino under formal investigation by summons or, if needed, warrants.
- The case targets alleged complicity in possessing and distributing child sexual abuse images, the spread of nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes, unlawful data collection without proper security, and denial of crimes against humanity tied to Grok’s Holocaust‑denial output.
- Musk and Yaccarino skipped voluntary interviews on April 20 after a February raid on X’s Paris office, and investigating judges can now compel appearances or proceed in their absence.
- Prosecutors alerted the U.S. Justice Department and the SEC in March about possible market manipulation linked to the Grok deepfake controversy, while the DOJ reportedly declined to assist in April, underscoring limits on cross‑border cooperation.
- The probe began in 2025 after MP Éric Bothorel alleged algorithmic manipulation on X and has since broadened as Grok generated sexualized deepfakes and a post echoing Holocaust denial, moving now into a magistrate‑led phase that can take months without guaranteeing a trial.