French prosecutors raid X offices, summon Musk over child abuse images and deepfakes

French police raided X (formerly Twitter) Paris headquarters on February 3, 2026. The raid was part of investigation into alleged illegal content moderation, election interference, and failure to comply with French digital platform regulations.

EMElon Musk was summoned for questioning by French authorities on February 5, 2026. The summons came after the Paris raid and allegations that X failed to remove illegal content including hate speech and disinformation within required timeframes.

The investigation focused on alleged illegal content moderation and election interference. French authorities examined whether X adequately removed hate speech, extremist content, and disinformation related to French elections and political discourse.

X faced potential fines up to 6% of annual French revenue for non-compliance with digital regulations. The penalties provided strong financial motivation for platforms to comply with French content moderation and transparency requirements.

The raid came amid broader EU efforts to regulate digital platforms and protect democratic processes. France joined other EU countries in implementing stricter digital regulations and holding platforms accountable for content moderation failures.

The investigation included examination of X algorithms and content moderation practices. French authorities sought to understand how X content decisions were made and whether they adequately protected French users from harmful content.

The case raised questions about the balance between platform autonomy and regulatory compliance. The investigation highlighted tensions between global platform operations and national digital sovereignty requirements.

The raid and summons created diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and France. The incident raised questions about extraterritorial application of national laws to global technology platforms and potential conflicts with U.S. corporate interests.

The investigation was part of broader French efforts to protect democratic processes from digital interference. French authorities were particularly concerned about protecting elections and political discourse from foreign and domestic disinformation campaigns.

The case highlighted the challenges of regulating global digital platforms with national laws. The investigation raised questions about how national governments can effectively regulate platforms that operate globally but must comply with local laws.