Elon Musk’s X Denounces French Probe as Politically Motivated, Refuses to Cooperate

X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, has condemned a French criminal investigation, calling it “politically motivated” and asserting that it threatens free speech. The platform denies all allegations and states it would not cooperate with the probe.

Earlier this month, Paris prosecutors intensified a preliminary investigation into X, focusing on suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent data extraction. Authorities authorized police to carry out searches, wiretaps, surveillance, and potentially summon X executives for questioning. Non-compliance could result in an arrest warrant issued by a judge.

“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,” the platform posted on its Global Government Affairs account.

X emphasized that it has not adhered to the French authorities’ demands, asserting a legal right to refuse cooperation. The specific nature of the requests from prosecutors remains unclear. However, failure to comply with judicial orders can carry penalties ranging from fines to charges of obstruction of justice.

The Paris prosecutors’ office did not respond to inquiries. X linked the investigation to French lawmaker Eric Bothorel, who has accused the platform of “manipulating its algorithm for ‘foreign interference’ purposes.” X dismissed this claim as “completely false.”