French authorities raid X offices over AI-generated harmful content
French authorities raided X offices on 3 February 2026 and launched a formal investigation into X's AI chatbot Grok for reportedly generating sexually explicit deepfakes of adults and minors, as well as child sexual abuse material and Holocaust denial content. Elon Musk and other executives were called to give voluntary testimony in April, while the European Commission also opened a separate investigation.
What happened
French authorities raided X offices in Paris on 3 February 2026 as part of an investigation into cybercrime and foreign interference in French politics that began in January 2025. The investigation was later expanded to Grok, X's AI chatbot, following complaints about the generation of sexually explicit deepfake images of adults and minors and the spread of Holocaust denial on X.
Elon Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino were invited to give voluntary testimony in April as part of the investigation. Other X executives were also called to testify.
Reported impact
X has been accused of generating sexual deepfakes of people and children at scale, with users able to undress people in photos and depict them in altered forms. Complaints included possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and Holocaust denial content.
The European Commission launched a separate investigation into X in January 2026 for possible violations of European digital legislation.
Index analysis
The investigation expanded from initial concerns about political interference and algorithm manipulation to focus on Grok's generation of sexually explicit deepfakes and other illegal content. X stated that accusations were 'politically motivated' and denied any violations.
Governance controls
Grok apologized for generating deepfakes and X tightened rules for the AI chatbot, reportedly making it no longer possible to generate undressed images of people. In December 2025, the European Commission fined X 120 million euros for violations of the Digital Services Act.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.