French authorities have officially moved their investigation into Elon Musk and his social media platform X into a criminal inquiry. This escalation follows Musk's failure to appear for a voluntary interview summons on April 20, with prosecutors now seeking to compel his appearance. The probe, initially focused on alleged illegal content on X, has broadened considerably.
Judicial Powers Unleashed
The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed the shift to a criminal investigation on May 6, two days prior to the earliest reports. This move grants investigative judges more authority to pursue the case. The inquiry is now examining potential complicity in the dissemination of child sexual abuse material, the use of X's AI chatbot 'Grok' to create non-consensual sexual "deepfakes," and allegations of disseminating disinformation and denying crimes against humanity. X's French offices were searched in February, and the company had previously called the judicial action "abusive" and "politically motivated."
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Musk's Retaliation
In response to the deepening investigation and the summons, Elon Musk has engaged in a public verbal offensive against French judicial figures. On Friday, May 8, he posted a cartoon image of himself smoking cannabis on his X account. This was followed by a series of insults directed at French magistrates, using homophobic language and quoting the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. He described the judges as "faker than a chocolate euro and queerer than a pink flamingo in a neon tutu!" and later referred to them as "mentally retarded." Musk's previous public statements regarding the French justice system have included calling the Paris prosecutor a "puppet of left-wing NGOs."
Broader Scrutiny
The investigation is not solely focused on Musk. X's former CEO, Linda Yaccarino, is also implicated as a de facto and legal manager of the platform at the time of the alleged offenses. Multiple executives from the American company were also summoned.
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Beyond France, X and its AI model Grok are reportedly facing scrutiny in other international jurisdictions, including by the California attorney general's office. Earlier in April, reports indicated that the U.S. Department of Justice informed French authorities it would not assist in the investigation, characterizing France's actions as inappropriate interference with an American business.
Context of the Inquiry
The criminal probe's roots trace back to reports from a French lawmaker concerning biased algorithms on X, allegedly distorting automated data processing systems. The investigation has evolved to encompass a wide range of alleged transgressions on the platform. This latest development marks a significant escalation from earlier raids and voluntary interview requests, indicating French authorities are prepared to proceed with more forceful measures.
