U.S. Rejects French Request for Help in Elon Musk X Investigation

WASHINGTON — The United States has refused to assist France in its investigation involving Elon Musk’s X, deepening a growing dispute over tech regulation, free speech, and who gets to police the world’s biggest online platforms.

According to The Wall Street Journal, which cited a letter from the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, French authorities asked Washington for cooperation three times this year. Each request was rejected.

American officials reportedly viewed the case as politically motivated rather than a straightforward criminal matter.

That is a serious charge, especially between two longtime allies that usually coordinate closely on legal and security issues. In the letter, U.S. officials accused France of trying to use its courts to influence the operations of a platform designed for the open exchange of ideas and opinions.

The tone was sharp — and unusually direct.

France has been tightening pressure on X for months. In February, prosecutors in Paris announced searches connected to the company’s offices in France, carried out with support from Europol and French cybercrime investigators.

The wider probe began in January 2025 after complaints linked to the platform’s algorithms, according to AFP. Authorities also expanded the case to include concerns surrounding Grok, the AI chatbot built into X.

French prosecutors have summoned Elon Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino for questioning scheduled on April 20.

For Musk, it marks another clash with European regulators. For France, it is part of a broader campaign to challenge the power of global tech companies.

What started as a regulatory dispute is now starting to look like a diplomatic one.

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