Elon Musk was due to be questioned by French prosecutors on Monday as part of an inquiry into X and its AI chatbot Grok, an investigation that has raised tensions between the United States and Europe over the role of Big Tech and questions of free speech. It was not clear whether Musk would appear at the scheduled hearing.
The hearing date was fixed in February, following a raid on the French office of the social media platform by the Paris prosecutor's cybercrime unit. That initial probe focused on allegations of fraudulent data extraction. Investigators have since expanded the scope to include suspected complicity in the distribution of child pornography and the creation of sexual deepfakes linked to Grok.
Attendance at the hearing has been described as mandatory, but authorities said they cannot compel Musk to appear at this stage of the process. Representatives for Musk could not be reached ahead of the summons.
In July, Musk rejected the original accusations and characterized the French prosecutors' actions as a "politically-motivated criminal investigation." The Paris prosecutor's office declined to comment on the matter ahead of the hearing.
Regulators and government bodies across multiple countries have increased scrutiny of X since Musk took control of the platform, examining matters such as content moderation, user data handling and compliance with local laws. Prosecutors in Paris have said the investigation centers on two main questions:
- whether X's algorithms led to distortions in how content was treated on the platform, and
- whether X improperly extracted user data.
Those lines of inquiry follow complaints lodged by French lawmakers and advocacy groups.
In a development that signals the probe's potential to strain transatlantic relations, a U.S. Justice Department letter was reported to have been sent to the Paris prosecutor indicating the department would not cooperate with the inquiry, viewing it as politically motivated. The Paris prosecutor's office, however, said it had no knowledge of such a letter and emphasized that "the French constitution guarantees the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary."
Former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino and several other X employees have also been summoned to appear as witnesses. Following witness hearings, authorities can choose to close the file, continue the investigation, or, in some cases, place individuals under formal investigation.
The outcome of the hearing will determine whether prosecutors advance the probe further or take other procedural steps. For now, key questions remain open about participation by principal figures and about how the investigation will proceed.