Elon Musk’s X has attacked a French criminal probe over “the alleged manipulation of its algorithm”, calling it politically motivated and a threat to free speech.
In a statement on Monday, the social media service said that French authorities had requested access to the company’s recommendation algorithm, as well as data “about all user posts on the platform”.
French prosecutors said in a statement on July 11th that they had opened the investigation into X after looking into reports in January from a lawmaker and an unnamed top official that claimed the social network was allegedly interfering in elections and other political issues.
In that statement, the Paris prosecutor said it was investigating whether X had engaged in “tampering with the functioning of an automated data processing system” or the “fraudulent extraction of data”.
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X said it “remains in the dark” about the specific allegations, which it denies, and that it “has not acceded to the French authorities’ demands”.
“Based on what we know so far, X believes that this investigation is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech,” it said.
The social media group also said that investigators had asked for access to its “recommendation algorithm” and data about users’ posts, so two experts could examine them.
Musk’s company claimed the inquiry was “instigated” by a French lawmaker, Éric Bothorel, who is a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s party, Renaissance.
Bothorel told the Financial Times that he had reported to prosecutors alleged problems on X, including lack of moderation and what he called biased promotion of right-wing content.
“If the justice system is taking next steps ... it means they think it is necessary,” said Bothorel. “It will allow further actions to be taken, such as police searches and eventually charges, if any of the allegations are verified.”
The MP said he had been concerned by Musk’s promotion in January of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of elections.
The French case comes as the European Commission has been investigating whether X has broken the bloc’s digital transparency rules. The FT reported last week that it had delayed a decision in the inquiry until September.
The EU has several investigations into X under the Digital Services Act, a set of rules for large online players to police their platforms more aggressively.
Bothorel said he had been motivated to act at the national level to report allegations against X because he saw the EU commission as dragging its feet on holding Musk and X accountable.
“If I chose to refer the matter to the justice system, it was also to provoke the commission a bit,” he said. “It’s disheartening to see the European Union fail to take responsibility when it comes to enforcing – and especially applying – the sanctions regimes that were envisioned under the DSA and DMA.”
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