In brief
French prosecutors have summoned Elon Musk for a voluntary interview regarding ongoing concerns about the platform X, particularly in relation to alleged misuse of deepfake technology. The investigation is part of a broader scrutiny into X's operations following reports of child sexual abuse materials and non-consensual digital manipulations. Musk has previously denounced the investigation as politically motivated, while the U.S. Justice Department has declined involvement, prompting further accusations of misuse of international laws.
Elon Musk has been summoned to a voluntary interview by French authorities on Monday as they continue to probe his platform X, but whether the tech billionaire will turn up remains to be seen.
The company's offices were raided by the Paris prosecutor's cyber-crime unit in February over suspected criminal offences related to content on the platform.
First opened in 2025, the investigation was expanded to encompass concerns raised over whether X's controversial chatbot Grok was used to create non-consensual sexual deepfake imagery.
When asked for comment, X pointed the BBC to a previous post by Musk in which he labelled the probe a 'political attack'.
It comes after the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the US Justice Department told French authorities in a letter it would not assist in their investigation of X.
The Department also accused French authorities of misusing the US justice system, the Journal reported.
Musk, however, responded to a post about the report on X, writing 'indeed, this needs to stop'.
If the tech billionaire does not attend the interview in Paris on Monday - a date set by prosecutors in February - it would not be the first time he has snubbed authorities.
Musk did not show up to a court-ordered appearance in Los Angeles in September 2024, as part of an investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into his Twitter takeover.
The BBC has approached the Paris prosecutor's office and the US Justice Department for comment.
Increased scrutiny
French prosecutors first began investigating his platform in January 2025 after receiving reports highlighting concerns about its recommended content.
The probe was subsequently widened over concerns about content generated by Grok, including its ability to edit images of women, and reportedly some children, shared on X to create non-consensual sexual deepfakes.
Prosecutors in Paris said in February they were investigating X over a range of suspected offences.
These included complicity in possession or organized distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), infringement of people's image rights with sexual deepfakes, and suspected fraudulent data extraction by an organized group.
X has previously denied any wrongdoing and described the allegations as 'baseless'.
In a statement at the time, the company said: 'Today's staged raid reinforces our conviction that this investigation distorts French law, circumvents due process, and endangers free speech. X is committed to defending its fundamental rights and the rights of its users.'
