French prosecutors have initiated criminal proceedings against Elon Musk's X and its parent company SpaceX over the platform's alleged role in hosting and distributing child sexual abuse images, non-consensual deepfakes, and content denying crimes against humanity, including the Holocaust. The Paris public prosecutor's office confirmed the investigation includes charges of complicity in possession and dissemination of illegal content and unlawful data collection.

The probe focuses on X's AI system, Grok, which generated posts downplaying the use of gas chambers at Auschwitz and produced sexually explicit deepfake images upon user request. These outputs triggered regulatory scrutiny after being flagged by a French lawmaker and led to an investigation by the Paris cybercrime unit, which began in January 2025. Musk was formally summoned following a February search of X's French offices.

Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino, who held the role until July 2025, were invited for voluntary interviews but did not attend. Authorities stated their non-appearance would not impede the investigation, as both are being examined in their capacities as company executives at the time of the alleged offenses.

French prosecutors have also alerted the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission, raising concerns that the controversy over Grok's outputs may have been orchestrated to artificially inflate the value of X and xAI. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities examining whether algorithmic manipulation occurred within an organized group.

The court is expected to schedule further hearings in the coming weeks, while French digital regulators continue to assess compliance with EU digital safety laws.