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What used to be a quick tweet now ends up in the interrogation room. In Paris, investigators have raided the offices of X, Elon Musk's platform. The accusation: too much extremism, too little control. And suddenly, it's not just an app that's under pressure, but one of the most powerful tech entrepreneurs in the world. Tagesschau reports with reference to French investigative authorities.

Search instead of discussion

France has had enough of waiting. The public prosecutor's office had X's offices in Paris searched—accompanied by Europol. That alone shows how seriously the situation is being taken. At the same time, summonses were issued: Elon Musk himself is to appear on April 20. Linda Yaccarino, former head of X, is also expected to appear.

The background: Investigators have been examining for months whether the platform has deliberately distributed content in such a way that far-right posts receive more attention. This is no minor accusation, but one that strikes at the very heart of the platform—its algorithm.

When technology moves faster than responsibility

The AI chatbot "Grok" is particularly controversial. This tool can generate images—quickly, realistically, and, if desired, even of real people. This is precisely where the problem lies.

Within a very short time, masses of sexualized images appeared, including depictions of children. According to a British organization, there were tens of thousands of them. X later responded and restricted functions. But on the internet, once something is out there, it stays out there.

In addition to these allegations, there are also accusations of Holocaust denial and misuse of personal images. These are issues on which France traditionally draws very clear boundaries. The public prosecutor's office emphasizes that it wants a "constructive solution." Translated, this means: X must abide by the rules—or things will get uncomfortable.

France is not alone

The trouble isn't just coming from Paris. The EU is also taking a close look. The European Commission has launched its own investigation into X. The focus: how AI is used on the platform and whether it amplifies dangerous content.

This is an unfortunate moment for Musk. Instead of talking about rockets, chips, or self-driving cars, he has to explain why his platform disseminates content that is considered a red line in Europe. And Europe is not a market that can simply be ignored.

A problem that is bigger than X

This case highlights a fundamental problem of our time. Technology is developing rapidly, while regulations are lagging behind. AI can fascinate, entertain, and help—but it can also be misused. If no one stops it in time, irreparable damage will be done.

Platforms earn money from attention. The more extreme the content, the greater the reach. That's no secret. What is new is that governments are increasingly unwilling to stand by and watch.

You can sell all this as an attack on freedom of expression. Or you can recognize that freedom without responsibility always ends up hurting the wrong people. Those who build tools that generate images, opinions, and moods in seconds cannot duck away when these tools get out of hand.

Sometimes it seems as if investigators need to show up with a search warrant before tech giants realize that "move fast and break things" cannot be a company motto. And that is precisely what is so scandalous about it.

Source: tagesschau.de