Finance
US Justice Department Refuses to Assist French Probe Into Musk’s X, Wsj Reports
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 18, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 18, 2026
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The U.S. Justice Department has declined a French request for cooperation in investigating Elon Musk’s platform X, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing a communication from the DOJ’s Office of International Affairs.
US Justice Department refuses to assist French probe into Musk’s X, WSJ reports
Justice Department Declines French Request in X Investigation
April 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has told French law enforcement it will not help with efforts to investigate tech billionaire Elon Musk’s social media platform X, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing a letter from the DOJ's Office of International Affairs, dated Friday.
Background of the French Investigation
Paris prosecutors in February raided X’s French offices and ordered Musk to face questions in a widening investigation as part of a year-long investigation into suspected abuse of algorithms and fraudulent data extraction by X or its executives.
Concerns Over Free Expression and Legal Jurisdiction
"This investigation seeks to use the criminal legal system in France to regulate a public square for the free expression of ideas and opinions in a manner contrary to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution," the letter reviewed by the Journal said.
The letter added that France's requests for U.S. assistance “constitute an effort to entangle the United States in a politically charged criminal proceeding aimed at wrongfully regulating through prosecution the business activities of a social media platform.”
Regulatory Scrutiny of X and Musk
X and Musk have come under scrutiny from regulators and governments in several countries since his takeover of the platform, with authorities examining issues including content moderation, data practices and compliance with local laws.
Focus of the French Prosecutors’ Probe
Prosecutors have said the investigation centres on whether X’s algorithms distorted the treatment of content on the platform and whether the company improperly extracted user data, after complaints from French lawmakers and advocacy groups.
Response from xAI and Ongoing Proceedings
“We are grateful to the Justice Department for rejecting this effort by a prosecutor in Paris to compel our CEO and several employees to sit for interviews,” an xAI official told the WSJ, adding that xAI hopes the prosecutors "recognize that there is no wrongdoing here, and terminate their baseless investigation.”
Current Status and Reactions
The U.S. Department of Justice, French authorities and xAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
(Reporting by Abu Sultan in Bengaluru, Editing by Louise Heavens)
Key Takeaways
- •DOJ has formally refused to assist French authorities probing X following a February raid of its Paris office, as reported by WSJ.
- •The Paris investigation centers on concerns over algorithm manipulation, deepfake images, child sexual abuse material, and compliance with French law.
- •French prosecutors previously shared related findings with U.S. regulators, including the SEC and DOJ, but cooperation has not been reciprocated.
Frequently Asked Questions about US Justice Department refuses to assist French probe into Musk’s X, WSJ reports
1Why did the US Justice Department refuse to help the French probe?
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the US Justice Department told French law enforcement it would not assist with an investigation into Musk's X after a raid on the company's Paris office.
2What is Musk’s X platform being investigated for in France?
French authorities launched a probe related to Musk’s X social media platform, prompting a raid on its Paris office earlier this year.
3Which agency reported the US refusal to assist France?
The incident was reported by the Wall Street Journal, based on a letter from the DOJ’s Office of International Affairs.
4Was Reuters able to independently verify the report about the US Justice Department's decision?
No, Reuters could not immediately verify the Wall Street Journal's report.
