By Juliette Jabkhiro and Dominique Patton
PARIS, April 20 (Reuters) – Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Monday did not appear at a summons for questioning in a French probe into X and its AI chatbot, Grok, over alleged abuse of algorithms and fraudulent data extraction, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
The investigation, which has been expanded in past months to include suspected complicity in the distribution of child pornography and the creation of sexual deepfakes by Grok, has added to strains in relations between the U.S. and Europe over Big Tech and free speech.
The April 20 summons date was set in February, when the Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit raided the French office of Musk’s social-media platform, X.
“The prosecutor’s office notes the absence of the first individuals who were summoned. Their presence or absence does not hinder the continuation of the investigation,” the prosecutor’s statement said, without mentioning Musk by name.
While attendance at Monday’s hearing was mandatory, the authorities at this stage could not compel Musk, the world’s richest person, to appear. Reuters could not reach representatives for Musk ahead of the summons. In July, Musk denied the initial accusations and said French prosecutors were launching a “politically-motivated criminal investigation.”
X has come under scrutiny from regulators and governments in several countries since Musk’s 2023 takeover of the platform, previously known as Twitter, with authorities examining issues including content moderation, data practices and compliance with local laws.
Prosecutors have said the French investigation centres on allegations that X’s algorithms distorted the treatment of content on the platform, that it improperly extracted user data and that it violated individuals’ rights with sexually explicit deepfakes.
TRANSATLANTIC DIVIDE
In a sign of the potential for the investigation to worsen already tense relations with Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the U.S. Justice Department sent a letter to the Paris prosecutor saying it would not cooperate in the probe, which it viewed as politically motivated.
The Paris prosecutor said it had no knowledge of such a letter, and added that “the French constitution guarantees the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary.”
Musk had been summoned for a “voluntary interview” — requested when authorities want to question someone without arresting that person. Prosecutors have no authority to use force to compel the person to appear, but if the person fails to respond to the summons, they may decide to place them in police custody.
“It is preferable to justify one’s refusal and ensure that it is not perceived as an obstacle to the investigation,” said criminal defence lawyer Julia Bombardier. “For example, by ensuring that certain representatives are interviewed.”
Former X CEO Linda Yaccarino and several other X staff have also been summoned as witnesses for questioning.
The French cybercrime unit leading the X investigation unit previously arrested Telegram founder Pavel Durov in 2024 over charges including complicity in organised crime carried out on the messaging app, charges his lawyer has described as “absurd.”
Durov posted on X early Monday morning that “France is losing legitimacy as it weaponizes criminal investigations to suppress free speech and privacy.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has often accused Europe of treating U.S. big tech companies unfairly through the use of fines, taxes and regulation.
(Reporting by Dominique Patton and Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Richard Lough, Kate Mayberry, Susan Fenton and Ethan Smith)
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