# French Prosecutors Open Criminal Probe Into Elon Musk and X

_Friday, May 8, 2026 at 4:11 PM EDT · Policy, Tech & Business · Latest · Tier 1 — Major_

French prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Elon Musk and X on Thursday, escalating a probe into sexual images of minors and other alleged illegal content on the social network.

The investigation began three months after French authorities raided X's Paris office and summoned Musk for questioning. Prosecutors had invited Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino to appear in April, but neither did. The earlier request was described as voluntary.

The prosecutor's office said it asked investigating judges to charge X Corp., xAI, Musk, and Yaccarino, and warned that preliminary criminal charges could be issued in their absence if they fail to appear.

In addition to sexual images of minors, the investigation involves Grok's dissemination of Holocaust-denial claims and sexually explicit deepfakes. X previously refused to comply with a court order to hand over its algorithm, according to Le Monde. The prosecutor's office said the investigation aims to uphold the law and protect victims of criminal offenses both online and offline.

## Sources

- [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/05/elon-musk-faces-criminal-probe-in-france-after-ignoring-summons-in-x-case/)

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