French prosecutors raid Elon Musk’s X offices, UK announces fresh probe in wake of allegations about Grok child abuse images
European authorities intensified scrutiny of Elon Musk’s X on Tuesday, as French law enforcement raided the company’s Paris office and UK regulators announced a new investigation into the “potential” for X’s Grok AI tool to generate harmful sexualized images and videos.
The actions are the latest in Europe’s efforts to hold X accountable following reports that Grok was used to produce deepfake images of undressed women and children. Last month, the European Union formally opened an investigation into the allegations. In France, the cyber-crime unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office said it is examining possible charges including “complicity” in possessing and distributing child pornography and unlawful data extraction.
The investigation dates back to January 2025, when French prosecutors first looked into content promoted by X’s recommendation algorithm. Over the summer, the inquiry expanded to focus specifically on Grok.
Potential offenses under investigation in France include complicity in sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity, and manipulation of automated data processing as part of an organized group. “At this stage, the conduct of the investigation is based on a constructive approach, with the aim of ultimately ensuring that the X platform complies with French law while operating on national territory,” Paris prosecutors wrote on X.
X denied any wrongdoing, calling the raid “a politicized criminal investigation.” In a statement to The Post, the company said, “We are disappointed by this development, but we are not surprised. Today’s action was an abusive act of law enforcement theater designed to achieve illegitimate political objectives rather than advance legitimate law enforcement goals.”
In the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and media regulator Ofcom said they were launching a probe into Grok’s handling of personal data. “The reports about Grok raise deeply troubling questions about how people’s personal data has been used to generate intimate or sexualized images without their knowledge or consent, and whether the necessary safeguards were put in place to prevent this,” William Malcolm, ICO’s executive director for regulatory risk and innovation, told the BBC.
Tuesday’s development follows previous statements from Ofcom, which said it had been limited in its ability to investigate chatbots like Grok due to regulatory gaps.
The Post has sought comment from X.
About Post Author
