French Police Raid X and Grok Offices in Probe of Hate Content

French police executed search warrants on the Paris offices of the social platforms X and Grok — both associated with Elon Musk — as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged hate speech and violent content circulating on the sites, officials and reported sources said. The raids took place on Feb. 6, 2026, and were carried out by investigators from France’s Central Office for Combating Crimes Against Humanity, Genocide and War Crimes (OCLCH) and other national law-enforcement units tasked with enforcing laws against hate speech and incitement.

Authorities allege that posts, uploads and prompts generated or shared on X and Grok contained racist, anti-Semitic or violent material that could breach France’s strict laws on discrimination and hate-linked criminality. Under French law, platforms that host or fail to promptly remove content inciting hatred can be held liable — and even the executives responsible can face fines or criminal charges if they knowingly allow illegal content to spread.

Police officers were seen entering the offices in central Paris and conducting searches of servers, computers and documents connected to how content moderation is handled on the platforms. Investigators were reportedly seeking internal records, algorithms and moderation logs that could shed light on why certain posts remained visible and how the companies enforce moderation policies in France. No arrests were immediately announced following the searches.

The raids form part of a broader pattern of European regulatory pressure on X and other social-media companies over alleged failures to police hate speech and violent content. France, Germany and other EU states have in recent years passed or reinforced laws requiring platforms to promptly remove content that violates local legal standards on hate, discrimination, public incitement and violence — with significant fines for non-compliance.

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and Grok — an AI-driven conversational service owned by Musk’s companies — have faced multiple regulatory inquiries in Europe and elsewhere over content moderation practices. Critics argue that the companies’ approaches to moderation lag behind obligations under local law, while Musk and representatives of the platforms have defended their systems as aiming to balance free expression with responsible content policy.

In a statement responding to the raid, X said it was cooperating with authorities and reaffirmed its commitment to following applicable French laws. “We take these matters seriously and are providing full support to the authorities as they continue their investigation,” the company said, adding that it reviews content based on local legal requirements and platform rules.

This week’s police action follows complaints from civil-rights groups and public figures in France who alleged that content on the platforms had fueled online harassment or mirrored real-world threats. French prosecutors have signalled that the investigation could lead to charges against responsible parties if evidence shows that hate speech was knowingly tolerated or inadequately addressed.

The searches in Paris are the latest development in mounting tensions between national governments and global tech platforms over content responsibilities, freedom of speech and enforcement of local legal standards. Similar cases in Europe have resulted in fines, suspension orders and legislative clashes, underscoring ongoing debate over how to regulate digital platforms in democratic societies.