Elon Musk's X accuses France of "politically motivated" probe amid free speech dispute
The escalating legal tensions between France and X come as Elon Musk has increasingly criticized European governments for what he sees as suppression of free speech, aligning himself with some far-right political factions in the region.
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Elon Musk's social media platform X on Monday accused French prosecutors of carrying out a "politically-motivated criminal investigation" that it claims is designed to curtail user freedoms and restrict free speech, according to a report by the Associated Press.
In a strongly worded statement posted via its Global Government Affairs account, the company denied all allegations and asserted that it would not cooperate with the investigation. "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 said. "For these reasons, X has not acceded to the French authorities' demands, as we have a legal right to do."
Earlier in July, Paris prosecutors escalated their preliminary probe into X over suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent data extraction. The move allows French police to conduct wiretaps, surveillance, and searches, or summon Musk and X executives for testimony. If they fail to comply, a French judge could issue arrest warrant, the report added.
It remains unclear what specific judicial requests were sent to X. Under French law, refusal to comply with such demands could lead to penalties ranging from fines to obstruction of justice charges. The Paris prosecutors' office declined to comment on the ongoing case when contacted by Reuters.
X claims the investigation was instigated by French lawmaker Eric Bothorel, who has accused the platform of manipulating its algorithm for "foreign interference" - a charge X calls "completely false."
The escalating legal tensions between France and X come as Elon Musk has increasingly criticized European governments for what he sees as suppression of free speech, aligning himself with some far-right political factions in the region, the report added.
The case also adds to broader transatlantic tensions over online speech regulations. U.S. officials have raised concerns about what they view as disproportionate censorship of right-wing voices globally.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has been separately investigating X for potential breaches of the Digital Services Act, which targets platforms spreading illegal content, since late 2023, the report added.
