French authorities raid Elon Musk’s X office in Paris investigation

By Sernur Yassıkaya / Yeni Şafak Foreign News Manager

French authorities have conducted a raid on the Paris headquarters of the social media platform X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk. The operation, carried out jointly by the Paris police cybercrime unit and Europol, marks a significant escalation in European regulatory scrutiny of the US-based tech giant.

Scope of the Investigation

According to the Paris prosecutor's office, the investigation was launched in January and has since been broadened. Initially concentrating on alleged misuse of algorithms, the probe now includes an examination of X's AI chatbot, Grok. Prosecutors are looking into the tool's capacity to produce sexually explicit deepfake videos, a function that drew heavy criticism last year for generating digitally undressed images of women and children.

Legal Summons and Broader Tensions

Prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that X Chairman Elon Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino have been summoned to give statements in April, while other employees will be questioned as witnesses. The raid occurs amidst growing tensions between the European Union and Musk, who is known for his criticism of EU policies and his political support for right-wing parties across Europe, which Brussels views as interference.

Context of EU-US Tech Regulation Battle

This action is the latest development in the ongoing regulatory clash between Brussels and major American technology firms under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA designates large platforms as "gatekeepers" and aims to curb their market dominance. The European Commission has already levied billions in fines against companies like Google, Apple, and Meta for alleged violations, a policy the US administration criticizes as discriminatory and a trade barrier.