Elon Musk's X headquarters in France raided by cybercrime unit amid escalating EU scrutiny over social media giants.
Prosecutors at the Paris Public Prosecutor's office have launched a raid on the French headquarters of Elon Musk's social media platform, X, as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged cybercrime. The raid comes as part of an expanding probe that has widened to cover complaints about X's artificial intelligence tool, Grok.
The investigation began last year after centre-right MP Éric Bothorel filed a complaint alleging that biased algorithms on the platform had distorted its data processing system and affected the kind of content it recommended. Other allegations made by Bothorel included claims of a "reduced diversity of voices" and Musk's "personal interventions" in X's management since he bought it in 2022.
The probe has also expanded to include complaints about X's handling of child abuse images, violation of image rights through sexualised deepfakes, and denial of crimes against humanity. The allegations have been linked to the platform's AI tool, Grok, which has caused outrage by allowing users to "strip" clothed people, including children, in photos through AI image generation and editing.
The French authorities' move comes as part of a hardening European attitude towards social media giants. Spain is preparing a series of measures, including a social media ban for under-16s, while the Greek government has revealed it is "very close" to announcing a similar ban for children under 15.
Elon Musk was summoned for questioning by the Paris Public Prosecutor's office as part of the investigation. The billionaire took to X to call Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez "a traitor to the people of Spain", amid escalating tensions between the two leaders over social media regulation and misinformation on the platform.
X has denied any wrongdoing and has described the raid as an "abusive act of law enforcement theater" designed to exert pressure on its senior management in the United States. The platform's CEO, Linda Yaccarino, was also summoned for questioning as part of the investigation.
Prosecutors at the Paris Public Prosecutor's office have launched a raid on the French headquarters of Elon Musk's social media platform, X, as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged cybercrime. The raid comes as part of an expanding probe that has widened to cover complaints about X's artificial intelligence tool, Grok.
The investigation began last year after centre-right MP Éric Bothorel filed a complaint alleging that biased algorithms on the platform had distorted its data processing system and affected the kind of content it recommended. Other allegations made by Bothorel included claims of a "reduced diversity of voices" and Musk's "personal interventions" in X's management since he bought it in 2022.
The probe has also expanded to include complaints about X's handling of child abuse images, violation of image rights through sexualised deepfakes, and denial of crimes against humanity. The allegations have been linked to the platform's AI tool, Grok, which has caused outrage by allowing users to "strip" clothed people, including children, in photos through AI image generation and editing.
The French authorities' move comes as part of a hardening European attitude towards social media giants. Spain is preparing a series of measures, including a social media ban for under-16s, while the Greek government has revealed it is "very close" to announcing a similar ban for children under 15.
Elon Musk was summoned for questioning by the Paris Public Prosecutor's office as part of the investigation. The billionaire took to X to call Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez "a traitor to the people of Spain", amid escalating tensions between the two leaders over social media regulation and misinformation on the platform.
X has denied any wrongdoing and has described the raid as an "abusive act of law enforcement theater" designed to exert pressure on its senior management in the United States. The platform's CEO, Linda Yaccarino, was also summoned for questioning as part of the investigation.
! X is just being held accountable for what it's been doing with AI and social control 
. Musk should've kept his personal life out of politics, now he's getting dragged down by his own egocentricity 
. France and EU are trying to regulate these platforms to keep them from running amok, but we need stricter laws ASAP 
! No one wants to be the next victim of AI-generated content or biased algorithms... let's get our priorities straight 
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but seriously, it's interesting to see how governments are taking control of these issues and making rules for social media giants 
. Spain's thinking of banning kids under 16 from social media? That's extreme 
. What's next? A total shutdown of the internet? 
. And what about free speech? 
. I mean, Elon Musk's X has been dealing with so many issues and now the French authorities are raiding their headquarters? It's like they're trying to shut down the platform for good 
. The whole thing about biased algorithms and AI tool Grok being used to create these sick deepfakes is just messed up 
. And what really gets me is that other social media giants in Europe are getting ready to take action too 
. Spain's planning a ban on under-16s using social media, Greece might do something similar... it's like the whole continent is finally waking up to how these platforms are being used for harm 
. I'm all for holding people in power accountable, but this feels like a major overreach 
. The EU is cracking down on these platforms and it's about time. I mean, we all know how biased those algorithms can be and how they affect our feeds 
.
. It's good that the French authorities are taking this seriously and that other countries like Spain and Greece are following suit 
.
. Social media companies have too much power and influence over our lives, and it's time someone took a stand against them 
. I'm not saying these platforms don't have some good intentions, but they're definitely not doing enough to prevent harm from spreading online 
. We need more transparency and oversight from these companies, and we need it now 
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. I mean, I've heard about these social media giants having problems with biased algorithms and stuff, but it's crazy that they're being investigated for child abuse images too 
It seems like there's a lot of drama going on between all these big players in the tech world... Can we just get some clarity on what's really going on here? 
The EU needs to step in and regulate these social media giants ASAP, before it's too late 
It's not like we're in a sci-fi movie or anything! But at the same time, I'm not entirely sure if the EU is just jumping on the bandwagon here... are they really just trying to regulate social media giants or is this a bit too little, too late? 
Still, it's good that someone's finally giving X some grief over their practices 
.
musk is just trying to modernize and make x the best platform for creators and users alike 
i'm just here for the good vibes and inspiring stories, not all this drama 
but also kinda concerning when you think about the potential misuse of that tech 
what do you guys think? Should social media platforms be more heavily regulated or should we just let them police themselves?