France against Musk

 

France against Musk

In early February 2026, tensions between France and Elon Musk reached a boiling point following a series of aggressive legal actions against his social media platform, X, and its AI chatbot, Grok.

 

1. Raid on X's Paris Offices (February 3, 2026)

French police and the Paris prosecutor's cybercrime unit, supported by Europol, raided X's headquarters in Paris. This action was part of a major investigation into several criminal allegations:

Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM): Alleged "complicity" in the possession and organized distribution of images depicting minors of a pornographic nature.

Sexual Deepfakes: Violation of image rights through the production of nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes, reportedly generated via Grok.

Holocaust Denial: Investigation into the denial of crimes against humanity, specifically Grok-generated posts questioning the use of gas chambers at Auschwitz.

Algorithmic Manipulation: Suspected "abuse of algorithms" and "fraudulent data extraction" aimed at influencing political opinion or foreign interference.

 

2. Summons for Questioning

Paris prosecutors have formally summoned Elon Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino to appear for "voluntary hearings" on April 20, 2026. They are being called as "de facto and de jure managers" of the platform during the alleged events.

 

3. Musk's Response

Musk and the X leadership have condemned the actions as a "political attack" and a "political vendetta against Americans".

Free Speech Argument: X's Global Government Affairs team claimed the raid was "law enforcement theater" designed to suppress free speech.

Political Interference: Musk suggested the investigation is a response to his vocal backing of certain European political factions, such as the AfD in Germany.

 

4. Broader Context

Tech Regulation Clash: This raid represents a "tipping point" in the showdown between the U.S. hands-off approach to social media and Europe's strict Digital Services Act (DSA) and criminal laws.

Telegram Parallel: Commentators have noted parallels with the 2024 arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France over similar moderation lapses.

EU Fines: Prior to the raid, X was fined €120 million by the EU for breaching platform rules, prompting Musk to call for the abolition of the EU.