The investigation began in January 2025 and led to a search of X's French offices in February 2026. Prosecutors have broadened their allegations beyond the initial focus on algorithmic manipulation and data misuse to include claims of operating an illicit platform, possession of child sexual abuse material, non-consensual imagery, and generating content denying crimes against humanity through Grok. In March, French authorities notified the U.S. Department of Justice and SEC of suspicions that controversy surrounding sexually explicit Grok content may have been deliberately orchestrated to inflate the value of X and xAI.
The significance lies in the shift from preliminary investigation to formal criminal proceedings. By requesting judges to move toward charges despite Musk and Yaccarino's nonappearance, French authorities are signaling serious intent to prosecute. X has characterized the probe as abusive, while French officials maintain the investigation protects victims of online and offline crimes. Attorneys should monitor whether U.S. regulators act on the French referral and whether other jurisdictions follow with similar investigations into X's data practices and content moderation systems.