The intersection of global tech leadership and government oversight came into sharp focus this week in Paris. As regulatory scrutiny of major digital platforms intensifies across Europe, one proceeding drew outsized attention, not for what transpired inside the room, but for who wasn’t there. Reports suggest that Elon Musk reportedly did not appear before French authorities in connection with an ongoing inquiry into content on X(formerly Twitter).
Elon Musk Paris meeting not attended X probe
Authorities in France, conducting the probe into X (formerly Twitter), issued a summons for Elon Musk to appear for a voluntary interview in Paris. However, according to reports late Monday, he was not present when the meeting convened.
French prosecutors launched the X probe in January 2025 over claims its algorithm interfered in French politics. It was later widened to cover Grok’s role in spreading Holocaust denial and creating non-consensual sexual deepfakes from images of women and some children posted on X. The case led to a wave of regulatory and legal measures targeting X and xAI in the UK, EU, and globally.
In February, the Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit raided the company’s offices over suspected criminal offenses tied to content on the platform. French authorities set April 20 as the date for Musk’s interview as part of an investigation they first launched in 2025.
In a statement issued to the BBC on Monday, the Paris prosecutor’s office stated that it had “taken note of the absence of the people summoned.” They further noted that the absence of those summoned does not prevent the investigation from moving forward.
Meanwhile, when the BBC requested comment earlier Monday, X directed reporters to a February post from Musk that described the probe as a “political attack.”
However, the billionaire’s absence from Monday’s interview in Paris is not the first instance of him appearing to disregard authorities. Musk previously failed to appear for a court-ordered hearing in Los Angeles in September 2024, tied to a US Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into his acquisition of X.
Originally reported by Sibanee Gogoi on Mandatory.
Originally reported by Sibanee Gogoi on Mandatory.
