Paris Raid On X Offices As UK Opens Probe Into Musk's AI Tool Grok

Paris's cyber‑crime unit has searched the French offices of Elon Musk's social media company X as part of an inquiry into suspected offences including unlawful data extraction and possible complicity in the possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The Paris Public Prosecutor's Office said both Elon Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino have been summoned to appear at hearings in April.

Separately, the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) announced it is opening a probe into Musk's AI chatbot Grok to examine its "potential to produce harmful sexualised image and video content." Ofcom said it is treating the issue as a matter of urgency but currently lacks full regulatory powers over chatbots.

What French Prosecutors Are Investigating

French authorities say the probe began in January 2025, initially focused on content recommended by X's algorithm, and was expanded in July 2025 to include Grok, the AI chatbot developed by xAI and integrated with X. Investigators are reportedly examining several potential offences, including:

• Complicity in the possession or organised distribution of CSAM;
• Infringement of image rights through sexual deepfakes;
• Fraudulent data extraction by an organised group.

UK And EU Actions

The ICO said its probe will examine how personal data may have been processed to generate intimate or sexualised images without individuals' consent. William Malcolm, the ICO's Executive Director for Regulatory Risk & Innovation, said the reports "raise deeply troubling questions" about whether appropriate safeguards were in place.

In late January the European Commission also announced a separate investigation into xAI, the parent company of Grok, over concerns about automatically generated images. A Commission spokesperson said EU officials were in contact with French authorities about the Paris search.

Responses From X, Musk And Others

Posting on X, Elon Musk called the raid a "political attack." The company said it was "disappointed" but "not surprised," described the Paris prosecutor's action as "abusive," denied any wrongdoing and warned the operation "endangers free speech."

"To be clear: they are lying," said Linda Yaccarino on X, accusing French prosecutors of a "political vendetta against Americans."

Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, criticized the French authorities on X, calling France "the only country in the world that is criminally persecuting all social networks that give people some degree of freedom" and adding, "Don't be mistaken: this is not a free country."

Background On Deepfakes And Platform Action

Critics, victims and online safety campaigners raised alarms in January when sexualised deepfake images — often generated using real photos of women without their consent — circulated on X. The company later intervened to curb the practice after Ofcom and other bodies launched inquiries.

Ofcom said it continues to treat the matter as urgent but currently lacks some powers to investigate chatbots directly; the ICO's involvement aims to address potential data‑protection breaches. Prosecutors in France say their wider probe will determine whether X's systems and practices broke multiple laws.

What's Next

The investigations in France, the UK and at EU level are ongoing. The summons for Musk and Yaccarino to appear in April, the scope of evidence gathered in the Paris raid, and the outcome of the ICO and Commission inquiries will shape potential regulatory and legal consequences for X and xAI.