The United States on Friday sharply condemned France’s criminal investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X, calling it an attack on free speech and accusing French authorities of engaging in foreign censorship.
“As part of a criminal investigation, an activist French prosecutor is requesting information on X’s proprietary algorithm and has classified X as an ‘organized crime group,'” the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor wrote on X.
“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,” it added.
French cybercrime prosecutors instructed police on 11 July to investigate suspected crimes, including the manipulation and extraction of data from automated systems “as part of a criminal gang.”
X, which Musk acquired in 2022, denied the allegations last week, calling them “politically motivated.” X also said it had refused to comply with the prosecutor’s request to access its recommendation algorithm and real-time data.
The probe follows two complaints filed in January, alleging the platform’s algorithm may have been used for foreign interference in French politics. One complaint came from Eric Bothorel, an MP from President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, who cited a “reduced diversity of voices and options” on the platform and criticised Musk’s “personal interventions” in its management.
X said it “categorically denies” all allegations and accused prosecutors of “distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech.”
Musk, also the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX has courted controversy in Europe for his political interventions, including open support for Germany’s far-right AfD party ahead of this year’s legislative elections in February.
In January, the European Commission extended its ongoing investigation into the company under the EU’s Digital Services Act and requested additional documents.
Earlier this month, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski also warned that X could face repercussions in the country, following reports of antisemitic comments generated by its AI chatbot, Grok. He also urged the Commission to look into Grok’s legal compliance.
“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.
Claudie Moreau contributed reporting.
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