Musk Criticizes French Prosecutors' Investigation of X

Elon Musk posted a cartoon image of himself smoking an enormous joint on X before launching a provocative tirade in French against judges overseeing an investigation into the platform. " The outburst followed Musk's failure to respond to a summons from the Paris prosecutor's office for a voluntary interview on April 20.

The head of the cybercrime unit is leading a broad investigation into X that has widened to include allegations of manipulation of public opinion, denial of crimes against humanity and complicity in the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.

, X Corp. and xAI, as well as Musk and the CEO of X until summer 2025. Officials said they would proceed by summoning them to gather comments or, in the event of non-compliance, by issuing a warrant equivalent to an indictment.

Investigators are looking into the platform's role in spreading Holocaust denial content and sexual deepfakes in addition to the original allegations. Musk's Friday comments marked an escalation in his public criticism of the French authorities. He had previously targeted the left, particularly in the United Kingdom, according to coverage of his earlier statements.

The Paris prosecutor's office emphasized in its May 7 statement that the procedure aims to uphold the law and protect individuals who have been victims of criminal offenses, both online and in real life. French officials are now moving toward formal charges against both the involved companies and the individuals.

The investigation gained momentum following the introduction of Grok, X's artificial intelligence chatbot. Prosecutors are examining whether the platform and its AI have facilitated the disputed content. Musk maintains an active presence on the platform, where he has 240 million followers.