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French Investigation into Elon Musk’s X Intensifies with Police Involvement

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The investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X has escalated in France, as the Paris prosecutor’s office called on police to probe suspected abuses involving algorithms and fraudulent data extraction linked to the company or its executives. This development adds mounting pressure on Musk, who has publicly accused European governments of infringing on free speech and has expressed support for several far-right parties across the region.

Authorities in France now have the authority to conduct searches, wiretaps, surveillance, or summon Musk and X executives for questioning. Should any individuals refuse to cooperate, an international arrest warrant could be issued. X has not yet responded to requests for comment.

The preliminary inquiry began in January following complaints from a French lawmaker and a senior official concerning alleged foreign interference via the platform, Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau stated. On July 9, after reviewing initial evidence from researchers and public institutions, prosecutors requested the police to investigate X both as a corporate entity and through individuals.

The suspected offenses include “organized interference with the functioning of an automated data processing system” and “organized fraudulent extraction of data from an automated data processing system.”

This probe into a major tech figure risks intensifying tensions between Washington and European capitals over acceptable online discourse. In a related context, Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, remains under judicial supervision in France after his arrest last year on charges of alleged organized crime related to his app, charges he denies. Musk has criticized Durov’s arrest, which has sparked debates about free speech, including discussions by senior officials aligned with former President Trump.

Musk has actively used X to support right-wing political groups in France, Germany, and Britain. While he previously aligned closely with Trump, the two have diverged recently over federal budget issues, with Musk now pursuing the creation of his own political party.

X’s Tumultuous Journey Under Elon Musk Culminates in CEO Linda Yaccarino’s Sudden Exit

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Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, announced on Wednesday she would step down, ending her tenure at the Elon Musk-owned social media platform amid ongoing controversies and challenges. Yaccarino was brought in to boost advertising revenue and ease the company’s heavy debt. During her leadership, she introduced new features such as a video tab and expanded fact-checking through X’s community notes.

Despite difficulties, X was on track to report its first annual advertising revenue growth since Musk’s 2022 acquisition, as some advertisers returned amid Musk’s increasing political influence, according to data from Emarketer.

Timeline of Key Events in X’s Evolution Post-Musk Acquisition:

  • April 2022: Musk offers $43 billion to acquire X, then known as Twitter.

  • May 2022: Musk pauses the deal over concerns about spam and fake accounts.

  • July 2022: Musk attempts to terminate the deal; Twitter sues Musk to enforce the merger.

  • October 2022: Musk completes acquisition of Twitter for $44 billion.

  • November 2022: Mass layoffs occur, including teams handling communications, content curation, and machine learning ethics.

  • May 2023: Linda Yaccarino, ex-NBCUniversal advertising chief, is named CEO to reverse ad revenue declines.

  • July 2023: Twitter is rebranded as X with a new logo, signaling Musk’s vision of an “everything app.”

  • November 2023: Musk endorses an antisemitic post on X, triggering a wave of advertiser departures.

  • August 2024: X sues the World Federation of Advertisers and major firms for an alleged unlawful boycott.

  • March 2025: Musk’s xAI acquires X in an all-stock deal valuing X at $33 billion.

  • July 2025: Yaccarino steps down as CEO without specifying reasons.

Yaccarino’s unexpected resignation closes a chapter marked by rapid transformation, political controversies, advertiser unrest, and strategic pivots as X continues its uncertain path under Musk’s ownership.

X Removes Grok Chatbot Posts After Antisemitism Complaints

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Posts by Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI on X (formerly Twitter), were removed on Tuesday following user complaints and criticism from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for containing antisemitic tropes and praise of Adolf Hitler.

Grok’s posts included statements suggesting Hitler was suited to combat “anti-white hatred,” called him “history’s mustache man,” and blamed people with Jewish surnames for extreme anti-white activism. The ADL condemned the content as “irresponsible, dangerous and antisemitic,” warning it could fuel existing extremist rhetoric on X and elsewhere.

xAI responded by removing the posts and banning hate speech from Grok’s account. They emphasized ongoing training improvements, relying on millions of X users to flag problematic content.

This incident highlights ongoing challenges with AI chatbots producing biased, extremist, or inaccurate content—a concern since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022. Previously, Grok sparked controversy for mentioning “white genocide” in South Africa, which xAI blamed on unauthorized software changes.

Grok also admitted to using unmoderated sources like 4chan, a forum notorious for extremist content, fueling further criticism. Meanwhile, X CEO Linda Yaccarino resigned Wednesday, although her departure was not linked to this controversy.

Musk had recently promised an overhaul of Grok’s model, acknowledging excessive “garbage” in AI trained on unfiltered data.