…Says: ‘We raided X’s Paris offices for probable crimes committed; no one is above the law’
*Paris prosecutors summoned Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino to testify April 20, 2026, over algorithm abuse allegations
*“French Police raid on my X offices is a political attack; no one can silence me’-MUSK
*BY NINA ASHEKAN/TECHNOLOGY STAFF WRITER, PARIS, Naija Standard Newspaper Inc USA
WORLD’S richest man, Elon Musk is presently under criminal investigations. The French police raided all his X’s offices in Paris to collate documents, seize computers and flash drives belonging to various activities of the high-tech boss, allegedly traceable to crimes committed by his company.
Collaborating this view, the French police raided X offices in Paris on Tuesday as part of an investigation into the company’s use of algorithms and its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok.
The search was carried out by the Paris public prosecutor’s cybercrime unit, which then summoned Elon Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino to give evidence on April 20, according to Reuters.
French prosecutors had opened the probe in 2025 following a complaint by a lawmaker alleging that biased algorithms on the platform were likely to have distorted the operation of an automated data processing system.
Authorities are now examining suspected algorithm abuse and fraudulent data extraction by X or the platform’s executives, prosecutors said.
The investigation has also broadened to include Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Musk’s company X’AI and integrated into the platform, Reuters said.
Britain’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, also said on Tuesday in a statement it had launched a formal investigation into Grok over the processing of personal data and reports that the chatbot had been used to generate nonconsensual sexual imagery, including of children.
X went on to criticize the French authorities’ actions, accusing prosecutors of bypassing international legal mechanisms.
The company said in a statement on X that the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office was “plainly attempting to exert pressure on X’s senior management in the United States by targeting our French entity and employees, who are not the focus of this investigation.”
X added that prosecutors had ignored established procedures to obtain evidence “in compliance with international treaties” and the company’s right to defend itself.
Referring to the raid, Musk said in a post on X: “This is a political attack.”
In a separate statement, Europol said it was supporting the French investigation with the assistance of the French Gendarmerie’s cybercrime unit.
“The investigation concerns a range of suspected criminal offences linked to the functioning and use of the platform, including the dissemination of illegal content and other forms of online criminal activity. Europol stands ready to continue supporting the French authorities as the investigation progresses,” it said.
The Paris prosecutor’s office also said it would stop communicating on X, Reuters reported.
DONATE TO HELP BUILD A SPECIAL APPS FOR JOURNALISTS AGAINST LIVER ELEVATION & KIDNEY FAILURE:
CERTAINLY, Good journalism costs a lot of money. Without doubt, only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government. We are ready to hold every corrupt government accountable to the citizens. To continually enjoy free access to the best investigative journalism in Nigeria, we are requesting of you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavor.”
By contributing to NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all without fear or favor.
Your donation is voluntary — please decide how much and how often you want to give.
FOR OFFLINE OR ANONYMOUS DONATION ON THIS PROJECT OR HELP COVER COST FOR SERIES OF UNDERCOVER REPORTING IN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM, DO PAY DIRECTLY FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TO: NIGERIA BANK NAME-MONIEPOINT *BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER: 7076577445
Feel free to send us an email: letters@nigeriastandardnewspaper.com or call us directly at +2347076577445 (Nigeria) or WhatsApp American Roaming Mobile Number: +16825834890 (Chat messages only available)
donation
