to leave a comment.
Musk Refused to Appear Voluntarily Last Month... French Prosecutors Officially Launch 'Criminal Investigation'
French prosecutors have issued a summons for Elon Musk, escalating pressure in connection with their ongoing investigation into social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
According to the U.S. daily Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and other sources, French prosecutors announced on the 7th (local time) that they have officially launched a criminal investigation into the X case, which involves allegations such as the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Consequently, summonses have been issued to Musk and Linda Yaccarino, the former CEO of X.
Following this announcement, French prosecutors will request the investigating judge to formally include Musk and Yaccarino, along with X company, as subjects of the investigation.
French prosecutors stated that Musk and Yaccarino have been summoned to clarify their positions regarding 'preliminary charges,' and even if they refuse to appear, preliminary charges can still be applied.
This summons comes shortly after Musk's refusal to comply with the French prosecutor's request for a voluntary appearance on the 20th of last month.
The U.S. Department of Justice also officially refused France's judicial authorities' request for cooperation in the investigation of Musk, criticizing it as a 'political investigation aimed at unduly regulating the business activities of social media.'
In response, as French prosecutors have once again escalated pressure by issuing summonses, the conflict between the two countries, centered around Musk, is also expected to heighten.
Previously, the Paris Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation after receiving a complaint that X's algorithm had been used for foreign interference in French politics since 2025, and subsequently expanded the investigation to include charges such as the distribution of child sexual abuse material and the creation of deepfake pornographic images through X's AI chatbot 'Grok.'
In France, if preliminary charges are applied, an investigating judge conducts an inquiry lasting several months to several years before deciding whether to actually refer the case to trial.
X has not immediately released a statement.
French prosecutors state that the purpose of the investigation is to ensure that platforms, including X, comply with French law.
The Paris Public Prosecutor's Office has tightened its grip, aiming to hold individual corporate executives accountable for platform operational responsibilities.
When the Paris Public Prosecutor's Office raided X's French offices last February, Musk denounced it as a 'political attack.'
Newsletter
Get key news delivered to your email every morning
to leave a comment.