French prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Elon Musk's X and its artificial intelligence system, Grok, over allegations of distributing child sexual abuse images, non-consensual deepfakes, disinformation, and complicity in denying crimes against humanity. The Paris public prosecutor's office confirmed the probe includes charges of unlawful data collection and manipulation of automated systems within an organized framework.

The investigation follows earlier inquiries launched in January 2025 by Paris cybercrime authorities, including a February search at X's French offices. Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino were summoned for voluntary interviews in March but did not appear; authorities stated the probe would proceed regardless. Yaccarino served as CEO from May 2023 until July 2025 and is being investigated in her managerial capacity.

The case expanded after reports that X's AI, Grok, generated content denying the Holocaust—specifically claiming gas chambers at Auschwitz were for disinfection—and produced sexually explicit deepfake images in response to user prompts. Such denial is a criminal offense in France. Grok later retracted the statements, acknowledging historical evidence of mass murder at the site.

French prosecutors have also alerted the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission, suggesting the deepfake controversy may have been orchestrated to inflate the value of X and xAI, raising potential securities and fraud implications. X and SpaceX have not responded to requests for comment.

The investigation remains active, with French authorities continuing to gather evidence; no trial date has been set, and the next procedural steps are expected to be announced by the Paris prosecutor's office in the coming weeks.