Musk Snubs French Investigators Over X Probe Into Alleged Data Extraction And Algorithm Abuse
Efforts by French prosecutors to question tech entrepreneur, Elon Musk, over alleged violations linked to X have stalled after he failed to appear.
The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office had in February 2026, invited Musk to attend a voluntary interview on Monday, April 20, as part of its investigation into alleged illegal data extraction and algorithm abuse tied to political interference. On Monday, prosecutors said they had “taken note of the absence of the people summoned”, adding that the probe would continue regardless.
X’s former CEO, Linda Yaccarino, alongside other company employees, were also scheduled for questioning between April 20 and 24 over possible complicity in the alleged offences. Prosecutors say the sessions are intended to allow the company outline its position and proposed compliance measures.
Authorities maintain the investigation, launched in January 2025, is being conducted with a “constructive approach” to ensure the platform complies with French law. The probe was later expanded to include concerns over the spread of Holocaust denial content and the creation of sexualised deepfakes using Grok, X’s artificial intelligence chatbot.
The case follows earlier warnings from a French lawmaker about the potential for foreign interference through alleged algorithm manipulation. As part of the investigation, prosecutors’ cybercrime unit also carried out a raid on X’s Paris office.
X has rejected the action, describing it as “baseless” and accusing authorities of pursuing political objectives while bypassing due process in gathering evidence.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that the United States has declined to support the French investigation. Separate probes have also been launched in the United Kingdom and the European Union over alleged misuse of Grok to generate explicit and harmful content.
This marks another instance of Musk missing regulatory questioning, after he failed to appear before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Los Angeles in September 2024 over its investigation into his Twitter takeover.
