France Raids Elon Musk’s X Office Over AI Deepfake Scandal/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ French authorities raided Elon Musk’s social platform X amid a criminal probe into its Grok AI chatbot. Investigators are focusing on AI-generated deepfake content, including child abuse material and antisemitic speech. The search adds to growing EU pressure on X over regulatory compliance and AI misuse.
X France Raid & EU Digital Sovereignty Quick Looks
- French prosecutors confirm raid on X’s Paris office tied to criminal AI probe.
- Grok AI under investigation for generating explicit and antisemitic deepfake content.
- Up to 3 million explicit images reportedly created in 11 days, including 23,000 of children.
- Europol and France’s cybercrime unit led the search.
- Elon Musk and ex-CEO Linda Yaccarino summoned for April 20 interviews.
- European Commission considers app bans under AI and platform regulations.
- X has not publicly responded to the raid or allegations.
- France joins broader EU movement pushing for digital autonomy from U.S. tech giants.
- Over 2.5 million French civil servants to stop using Zoom, Teams, and Webex by 2027.
- European governments shift to open-source and local alternatives for security and control.
Deep Look: France Raids Musk’s X Office as EU Cracks Down on AI and Big Tech Influence
French authorities executed a search of the Paris office of Elon Musk’s X platform Tuesday as part of a widening criminal investigation into the misuse of its Grok AI chatbot, the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed.
The raid, carried out by France’s cybercrime unit with support from Europol, signals escalating concerns over artificial intelligence’s role in disseminating sexually explicit deepfakes, including child exploitation material, and antisemitic content. According to the prosecutor’s statement on X (formerly Twitter), this is part of a “constructive approach” aimed at bringing the company into compliance with French digital and criminal law.
The investigation follows alarming reports that Grok may have produced up to 3 million sexualized images over 11 days in January — including an estimated 23,000 images of minors. The chatbot also drew scrutiny in 2025 for promoting Holocaust denial and antisemitic language.
Both Elon Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino have been summoned for voluntary interviews scheduled for April 20, as the French government and European Union sharpen their focus on tech platform accountability.
A Legal and Regulatory Firestorm
The French raid coincides with broader EU scrutiny. The European Commission has launched a new probe into X under the Digital Services Act and is also weighing banning Grok and other non-compliant AI applications under pending AI legislation.
X has yet to respond publicly to requests for comment.
The investigation marks another blow for Musk’s platform, which has struggled with regulatory tensions across Europe. The platform’s controversial AI features and its role in enabling harmful content have brought it under fire from privacy advocates, child safety organizations, and now law enforcement agencies.
EU Pushes Back Against U.S. Tech Dominance
This case also comes as part of a growing European movement toward “digital sovereignty” — an effort to reduce dependence on American tech giants like Microsoft, Zoom, and Meta. France, Germany, Austria, and other EU states are increasingly switching to homegrown and open-source platforms for public-sector communication and data management.
Last week, the French government announced that 2.5 million civil servants will stop using video conferencing services from U.S. firms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, and GoTo Meeting by 2027. These tools will be replaced with Visio, a domestically developed alternative.
French civil service minister David Amiel stated that the decision was driven by national security and the need to protect sensitive scientific, strategic, and public data from foreign access.
Other European efforts include:
- Austria’s military switching from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice.
- Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein replacing Microsoft services with Nextcloud and other open-source tools.
- Italy and Denmark pushing public institutions to abandon proprietary software for non-commercial solutions.
- Concerns over Musk’s Starlink system and the potential for Big Tech firms to enforce “kill switches” following past U.S. sanctions on international bodies like the ICC.
A Larger Battle Over AI Ethics and Control
The raid on X and ongoing scrutiny of Grok highlight a deeper concern: AI tools are outpacing the legal frameworks meant to govern them. France and the EU are increasingly warning that unchecked AI capabilities could be used to spread disinformation, incite hatred, or even assist in serious crimes — all with limited transparency or recourse.
By targeting Musk’s company directly, France is signaling that AI misuse tied to U.S. tech platforms will not go unchallenged in Europe.
The investigations into Grok and X — spanning child protection, hate speech, and foreign influence — may serve as a litmus test for how far EU governments are willing to go to reclaim control over their digital infrastructure and enforce tech accountability within their borders.
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