Elon Musk faces criminal probe in France after ignoring summons in X case

French prosecutors have escalated their investigation into Elon Musk and X, opening a formal criminal probe over illegal content on the platform. The investigation covers sexual images of minors, Holocaust-denial claims spread by Musk's Grok AI, and sexually explicit deepfakes. The move follows a raid on X's Paris office in February and a summons for Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino to appear for questioning in April, which they ignored. Now, if they fail to appear again, they can face preliminary criminal charges in absentia, with a warrant equivalent to an indictment. The Paris public prosecutor's office stated the investigation aims to uphold the law and protect victims online and offline.

X has called the probe "a politicized criminal investigation" and "an abusive act of law enforcement theatre," while Musk labeled it a "political attack." The US Justice Department last month refused to assist French authorities, accusing them of trying to "entangle the United States in a politically charged criminal proceeding." The potential charges include complicity in possession and distribution of child pornography, infringement of personal image rights via deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity, insecure handling of personal data, and operating an online platform to facilitate illicit transactions. The case could take months or years to reach trial, as French investigating magistrates conduct lengthy inquiries before deciding whether to proceed.