Elon Musk’s social media platform X has accused French prosecutors of pursuing a politically motivated criminal investigation aimed at restricting free speech, as tensions rise between the tech company and French authorities.
In a statement posted Monday via its Global Government Affairs account, X claimed that the probe into its platform was “distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda.” The company firmly denied any wrongdoing and announced it would not cooperate with the investigation.
The case stems from a preliminary inquiry launched earlier this year by Paris prosecutors into suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent data extraction by X. Earlier this month, the probe was escalated, granting authorities broader investigative powers, including the ability to search premises, conduct surveillance, wiretap communications, and compel testimony from Musk or other X executives. Failure to comply could lead to arrest warrants.
Prosecutors confirmed they sent a formal judicial request to X on July 19 seeking access to the platform’s recommendation algorithm. They said they had offered a secure channel to share the data confidentially, but had not yet received a formal response. Refusal to comply with such a request can result in penalties ranging from fines to obstruction of justice charges.
X rejected the demand, stating that it had a legal right to withhold real-time data and algorithm access, particularly given what it described as the political nature of the probe. It also criticized the investigation’s use of organized crime statutes, which allow authorities to wiretap employees’ personal devices and apply severe penalties, including prison terms of up to 10 years.
The investigation was reportedly initiated following a complaint by French lawmaker Eric Bothorel, who accused X of manipulating its algorithm for the purposes of foreign interference. X called the accusation “completely false.”
Bothorel responded by defending the independence of the French judicial system. “That’s a concept that seems completely upended in the United States at the moment,” he said. He emphasized that while France upholds freedom of speech, it must come with responsibility and oversight. “The absence of responsibility and oversight endangers freedom just as much as prohibitions and censorship do,” he added.
The dispute adds to mounting friction between the U.S. and European governments over online speech regulation. Musk, a vocal critic of European digital policy, has previously accused EU governments of stifling free speech and has publicly supported several far-right figures in Europe.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has been investigating X since late 2023 for possible violations of the Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to curb the spread of illegal content and operate with greater algorithmic transparency.
