A wide-ranging operation has shaken the French branch of X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, this morning.
nnnnAgents of the national police conducted a raid on the Paris offices, carrying out searches as part of a complex criminal investigation that alleges serious offenses, including algorithmic manipulation orchestrated by foreign powers.
nnnnThe action is only the latest dramatic turning point in the standoff between European authorities and Elon Musk’s-owned social network.
nnnnPolice raid X offices, origins of the investigation and interference charges
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The investigation, coordinated by the Paris Prosecutor’s Office, has roots dating back to January 2025, but publicly erupted only with today’s raid.
nnnnThe initial impetus came from two distinct complaints: one filed by a member of the French Parliament and the other by an unnamed public institution official.
nnnnAt the heart of the file is the suspicion that the platform allowed, whether intentionally or through negligence, alteration of its data processing systems.
nnnnThe accusation is heavy: it is alleged that foreign state actors may have tampered with X’s algorithm to influence public opinion, constituting crimes of organized disruption of computer systems and fraudulent data extraction.
nnnnArtificial intelligence and the drift of content
nnnnAs months have passed, the file has grown to include new, alarming details, extending to the capabilities of the chatbot Grok.
nnnnThe investigators charge the AI technology integrated into the platform with spreading content that denies the Holocaust and generating sexually explicit deepfakes, seriously infringing the rights of those involved.
nnnnThe gravity of the charges, which also include possession and distribution of child pornography, has led French authorities to treat the case with legal tools usually reserved for organized crime.
nnnnThis status has granted investigators special powers, including the ability to conduct environmental and telephone interceptions against the company’s executives.
nnnnMusk and the top executives are in the crosshairs of justice
nnnnThe judicial pressure is not limited to local searches alone. The Paris prosecutor’s office has announced the formal summons of Elon Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino for voluntary questioning scheduled for April 20, 2026. That will be the opportunity, for the current and former executives, to present their defense before the prosecutor formally brings any criminal charges.
nnnnThe company’s position, outlined in a note issued last July, has always been one of firm denial: X described the investigation as an instrumental attack on freedom of expression, accusing France of twisting national laws to serve a political agenda. When contacted today by specialized press, the company did not comment immediately.
nnnnAn unmistakable sign of the definitive break between French institutions and the platform is the Paris prosecutor’s office’s decision to close its official account on X, inviting citizens to follow updates on LinkedIn or Instagram.
nnnnThe move further isolates the social network, which is already under the lens of the European Commission, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and India for Grok’s capabilities to generate illicit images.
nnnnDespite requests from several digital rights organizations for Apple and Google to remove the application from their stores, the tech giants have not yet taken action.
