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France Opens Criminal Probe Into X and Musk With Investigative Judges in Charge

The move signals a tougher push to hold large platforms liable for illegal content under European digital laws.

Overview

  • The Paris prosecutor on Thursday opened a formal criminal case and handed it to investigative judges, naming X, Elon Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino.
  • An examining judge will probe suspected aiding of the spread of child sexual images, including AI deepfakes linked to X’s Grok chatbot.
  • Investigators are also looking at claims that X changed its algorithm to boost far‑right posts and allowed Holocaust denial to circulate.
  • Musk and Yaccarino skipped an April 20 voluntary hearing, and judges can issue warrants if they ignore renewed summonses.
  • X denies wrongdoing and says enforcement threatens free speech, as France and the EU pursue parallel cases against major platforms such as Telegram, TikTok and Kick.