French prosecutors are awaiting a response from tech billionaire Elon Musk regarding a mandatory court summons issued for Monday, concerning an investigation into the X platform and its AI chatbot Grok related to alleged fraudulent data extraction. It remains unclear whether Musk will attend the hearing, as he was not seen at the main Paris court. The summons date was set in February this year, following a raid by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office on the French offices of Musk's social media platform X. The investigation, which has already heightened U.S.-Europe tensions over big tech and free speech, has since expanded to include suspected tolerance of child pornography dissemination and Grok's generation of pornographic deepfake content. Although Monday's hearing was compulsory, authorities currently lack the power to force the world's richest person to appear. Reuters was unable to reach Musk's representatives prior to the summons. In July last year, Musk denied the initial allegations, calling the French prosecutor's investigation a "politically motivated criminal probe." The Paris prosecutor's office declined to comment. Since Musk acquired the platform, X has faced scrutiny from regulators and governments in multiple countries, with authorities investigating issues such as content moderation, data manipulation, and compliance with local laws. Prosecutors stated that the core allegations in the French investigation include X's algorithm distorting content processing, illegal extraction of user data, and infringement of individual rights through pornographic deepfakes.
Transatlantic Disagreements There are indications that the investigation could further strain already tense U.S.-French relations. According to reports, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to the Paris prosecutor, stating it would not cooperate with the investigation, which it deemed politically motivated. The Paris prosecutor's office said it was unaware of such a letter and added that "the French constitution guarantees the separation of powers and judicial independence." Musk was summoned for a "voluntary interview," meaning authorities wish to question him without making an arrest. Prosecutors cannot compel his appearance, but if the summoned individual refuses to respond, they may decide to place him under police custody. Criminal defense lawyer Julia Bombardier noted, "It is advisable to provide reasons for refusal to avoid being seen as obstructing the investigation, such as arranging for a specific representative to be questioned." Former X CEO Linda Yaccarino and several other employees were also summoned as witnesses for questioning. The French cybercrime unit leading the X platform investigation previously arrested Telegram founder Pavel Durov in 2024, accusing him of tolerating organized crime on the messaging app, charges his lawyer called "absurd." Durov posted on X early Monday, stating, "France is losing its legitimacy by weaponizing criminal investigations to suppress free speech and privacy." U.S. President Donald Trump has frequently accused Europe of unfairly targeting American big tech companies through fines, taxes, and regulations.
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