Pavel Durov Criticises France After Search of X’s Paris Headquarters, Calls It ‘Not a Free Country’

As a part of an ongoing investigation into cybercrime that is linked to the algorithms and content recommendations on the platform, the Paris public prosecutor’s office confirmed that a search is being carried out at X’s Paris headquarters.

In a statement on X by the official account of the Parquet de Paris, the Paris public prosecutor’s office explained that the search is carried out by its cybercrime unit with the assistance of Europol and CyberGEND. The search is linked to an inquiry that was initiated in January 2025 due to complaints regarding how X’s algorithm functions as well as the content it provides to users. The prosecutor’s office also announced that it is now leaving X and would henceforth communicate on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Une perquisition est diligentée dans les locaux français de X par la section de lutte contre la cybercriminalité du parquet de Paris avec @CyberGEND et @Europol dans le cadre de l'enquête ouverte en janvier 2025. Le parquet de Paris quitte X. Retrouvez-nous sur Lkd et insta. pic.twitter.com/tJQE02l4Qj

— Parquet de Paris (@parquetdeParis) February 3, 2026

Elon Musk, the owner of X, and former CEO of X, Linda Yaccarino, have been asked to appear as part of the investigation, as earlier stated by the authorities. The hearings are scheduled to take place in April.

In a blog post at the time, X called the extension of the investigation “politically motivated” and denied allegations that it had manipulated its algorithm.

The search has received international attention following a statement by the founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, criticizing the French authorities for saying that “French police is currently raiding X’s office in Paris. France is the only country in the world that is criminally persecuting all social networks that give people some degree of freedom (Telegram, X, TikTok…). Don’t be mistaken: this is not a free country.”

French police is currently raiding X’s office in Paris. France is the only country in the world that is criminally persecuting all social networks that give people some degree of freedom (Telegram, X, TikTok…). Don’t be mistaken: this is not a free country.

— Pavel Durov (@durov) February 3, 2026