On Friday, July 25, U.S. officials sharply criticized France’s criminal investigation into the social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, labeling it a violation of free expression and a case of foreign overreach. The State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor took to the platform—formerly known as Twitter—to denounce the inquiry as censorship cloaked in legal procedure.
“As part of a criminal investigation, an activist French prosecutor is requesting information on X’s proprietary algorithm and has classified X as an ‘organised crime group,’” the bureau stated. “Democratic governments should allow all voices to be heard, not silence speech they dislike. The United States will defend the free speech of all Americans against acts of foreign censorship.”
French prosecutors opened the investigation on July 11, citing concerns of foreign interference in domestic politics. The probe focuses on allegations that X’s algorithm was used to distort political discourse and illicitly harvest data—activities prosecutors say are consistent with an “organised criminal gang.”
The case stems from two complaints filed in January, including one from Eric Bothorel, a lawmaker in President Emmanuel Macron’s party. Bothorel claimed the platform’s diversity of viewpoints had narrowed since Musk took over, and accused the billionaire of personally meddling in the platform’s operations.
X has firmly rejected the accusations, calling the investigation “politically motivated” and asserting it refused a prosecutorial request to access its recommendation algorithms and real-time data. The company maintains that it "categorically denies" all charges and accuses French authorities of misusing legal frameworks to suppress dissent and advance a political agenda.
Bothorel, defending the inquiry, argued that unchecked influence by tech moguls poses a direct threat to democratic institutions. “Democracy is too fragile to let digital platform owners tell us what to think, who to vote for or even who to hate,” he said.
Musk, who also helms Tesla and SpaceX, has become an increasingly polarizing figure in Europe. His vocal support for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party earlier this year drew widespread criticism, further fueling concerns about his political influence across the continent.
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