French prosecutors escalate probe of Elon Musk and X to criminal investigation
PUBLISHED THU, MAY 7 2026 4:54 PM EDT
French cybercrime authorities have escalated an investigation of Elon Musk and his social network X to a criminal probe.
The investigation began in 2025 and focuses on alleged algorithmic manipulation by X to interfere in French politics, and the spread of AI deepfake content on the social network.
The U.S. Justice Department and Musk previously accused French authorities of a sham probe that interferes with an American business.
France is investigating whether Elon Musk and his social media app X were complicit in spreading harmful AI deepfakes.















