A French probe into alleged foreign interference and bias via the algorithm at Elon Musk-owned social network X is “politically motivated”, the company said in a post Monday, adding that it was refusing to cooperate.
“X believes that this investigation is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech,” the social network said.
It added that it “has not acceded to the French authorities’ demands” to access its recommendation algorithm and real-time data, “as we have a legal right to do”.
Cybercrime prosecutors announced the opening of the probe on July 11 into suspected crimes including manipulating and extracting data from automated systems “as part of a criminal gang”.
The move followed two complaints received in January about “foreign interference” in French politics via X — one of them from Eric Bothorel, an MP from President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party.
Bothorel had complained of “reduced diversity of voices and options” and Musk’s “personal interventions” on the network since his 2022 takeover of the former Twitter.
The Tesla and SpaceX chief has raised hackles in Europe with political sallies, including vocal backing for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of February legislative elections.
“Democracy is too fragile to let digital platform owners tell us what to think, who to vote for or even who to hate,” Bothorel said after the investigation was announced.
The company responded Monday saying, “Mr Bothorel has accused X of manipulating its algorithm for ‘foreign interference’ purposes, an allegation which is completely false.”
Prosecutors have not confirmed whether they are also investigating under a French law against foreign interference in politics passed last year.
X also complained of bias in French authorities’ choice of experts to examine its algorithm, including mathematician David Chavalarias and computer scientist Maziyar Panahi.
Both have been involved in a scheme called “HelloQuitteX”, designed to make it easier for users to migrate their X presence to other social networks.
Picking them “raises serious concerns about the impartiality, fairness and political motivations of the investigation”, the company said.
It also objected to the use of the “organised gang” aggravating circumstance.
The characterisation “is usually reserved for drug cartels or mafia groups” and “enables the French police to deploy extensive investigative powers… including wiretapping the personal devices of X employees,” the company said.
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