The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) yesterday said it has opened formal investigations into X Internet Unlimited Company (XIUC) and X.AI LLC covering their processing of personal data in relation to the Grok AI system and its potential to produce harmful sexualised image and video content.

A separate investigation was previously launched by Ofcom under the UK’s online safety legislation.

Ireland’s Coimisiún na Meán is playing a significant role in an EU-wide investigation announced by the European Commission last week.

Meanwhile, X’s French headquarters were yesterday raided at the behest of the cybercrime unit of the Paris public prosecutor’s office, in collaboration with national law enforcement and in the presence of Europol.

In a statement, prosecutors said the potential offences they are investigating include complicity in the possession and dissemination of child sexual abuse material, as well as offences relating to sexual deepfakes, Holocaust denial and misuse of personal data.

Mr Musk and former X CEO Linda Yacarino have been invited to take part in voluntary interviews in Paris on 20 April, while X employees have also been invited to make witness statements over four days in April.

“At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the ultimate aim of ensuring the compliance of platform X with French laws, given that it operates on national territory,” prosecutors said in a statement.

X has accused French authorities of carrying out a “politicised criminal investigation” and described the raid as “an abusive act of law enforcement theatre designed to achieve illegitimate political objectives”.

“The allegations underlying today’s raid are baseless and X categorically denies any wrongdoing,” it added.