French prosecutors have launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s X on allegations that they distorted the algorithm to manipulate discourse taking place on social media platforms.
The Paris prosecutor’s office told a French lawmaker on January 12 that it was “criticizing X for its biased algorithms,” “it is likely to have distorted the operation of an automated data processing system.”
The prosecutor’s office told CNBC in email comments that magistrates and experts from the office’s Cybercrime section are tasked with analyzing the report and conducting early technical checks on the platform. He spoke.
CNBC contacted X for comments.
X, formerly known as Twitter, has been plagued by concerns surrounding content moderation shortcomings since Musk purchased the platform for $44 billion in 2022.
According to French radio station Franceinfo, the French lawmaker who sent the report to the prosecutor’s office was President Eric Bothorel, President Eric Bothorel, and a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble La Repobric Party.
Meanwhile, the European Union is investigating X for potential violations of the Digital Services Act, a law that requires social media companies to tackle the spread of harmful content on their platforms.
Last month, the European Commission, the EU executive arm, asked X to pass on internal documents on the algorithm by February 15th as part of its ongoing DSA investigation.
X has been accused of manipulating the system to give far-right posts and politicians a great deal of visibility into other political groups.
Musk has issued several official statements in Germany and even made a surprising virtual appearance at last month’s campaign event, expressing the country’s far-right alternative Für Deutschland (AFD) party.
The AFD was voting second for Germany’s next general election on February 23rd.
