Musk's X says French accusations of data tampering and fraud are politically motivated
X was responding to an announcement earlier this month from the Paris prosecutor's office, which said it was opening an investigation into the two alleged offenses.
Both offenses involved an "automated data processing system," according to prosecutors, who provided scant details of the alleged wrongdoing.
The platform said French authorities were carrying out a "politically-motivated criminal investigation into X over the alleged manipulation of its algorithm and alleged 'fraudulent data extraction'.'
'X categorically denies these allegations,' it said in a post from its Global Government Affairs account.
The prosecutor's office has said it acted on information that two people provided in January to its cybercrimes unit. One of them is a member of parliament, and the other is a senior official in a French government institution. It didn't identify them or the institution.
Prosecutors said the two people alleged suspected use of X's algorithm for the 'purposes of foreign interference,' without providing details.
The platform said it 'remains in the dark' about the the specific allegations. 'However, 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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
4 minutes ago
- First Post
EU, US close to trade agreement as Trump, von der Leyen set for Scotland talks
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet US President Donald Trump in Scotland on Sunday, as the EU and US edge closer to sealing a key trade agreement. The deal could impose a 15% tax on EU imports and 50% duties on steel and aluminium. read more European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet with US President Donald Trump in Scotland on Sunday, after EU officials and diplomats indicated they expected to clinch a basic trade agreement this weekend. The deal would most likely contain a 15% baseline tax on all EU products entering the United States, as well as a 50% duty on European steel and aluminium, according to officials and diplomats. 'Following a good call with @POTUS, we have agreed to meet in Scotland on Sunday to discuss transatlantic trade relations, and how we can keep them strong,' von der Leyen said in a post on X. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Following a good call with @POTUS, we have agreed to meet in Scotland on Sunday to discuss transatlantic trade relations, and how we can keep them strong. — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 25, 2025 Trump on Friday said there was a 50-50 chance or perhaps less that the US would reach a trade agreement with the European Union, adding that Brussels wanted to 'make a deal very badly'. 'We are close to an agreement and it is possible we will reach it during the weekend,' one senior EU official said. Trump will visit his golf courses in Scotland and meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday. European luxury and auto shares - two of the sectors most exposed to tariffs along with wine and spirits - rose, with LVMH and Europe's largest car manufacturer Volkswagen closing up around 4% and 3%, respectively, the biggest gainers. Combining goods, services and investment, the EU and the United States are each other's largest trading partners by far. The American Chamber of Commerce in Brussels warned in March that any conflict jeopardised $9.5 trillion of business in the world's most important commercial relationship. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The EU is facing US tariffs on more than 70% of its exports - 50% on steel and aluminium, 25% on cars and car parts and a 10% levy on most other goods, which US President Donald Trump has said he would hike to 30% on August 1, a level EU officials said would wipe out whole chunks of transatlantic commerce. Further tariffs on copper and pharmaceuticals are also looming. The EU has prepared countermeasures that could enter into force on August 7 in the event that talks collapse. Even if the EU agrees a 15% tariff, avoiding the threat of an even higher one, French car parts supplier OpMobility said it was concerned that the bloc as a whole seemed unable to negotiate better terms than its individual countries. 'In the short term, we can probably say that we've avoided the worst, but that does not mean that it's a good deal, at the end of the day it shows that the relationship is unbalanced,' CEO Laurent Favre said late on Thursday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, VW's chief executive Oliver Blume on Friday told investors the carmaker hoped investment commitments could help it win further concessions on US tariffs once Washington and the EU had struck a broad trade deal.
The Hindu
4 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Pro-Palestinian Lebanese militant released after 40 years in French jail
One of France's longest-held inmates, the pro-Palestinian Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, 74, was released from prison and deported on Friday, after more than 40 years behind bars for the killings of two diplomats. At around 3:40 am (01:40 GMT), a convoy of six vehicles left the Lannemezan penitentiary with lights flashing, AFP journalists saw. Hours later, he was placed on a plane bound for Lebanon. As he disembarked in Beirut, he was welcomed by family members at the airport's VIP lounge. Dozens of supporters, some waving Palestinian or Lebanese Communist Party flags gathered near the arrivals hall to give him a hero's reception, an AFP correspondent said. Mr. Abdallah's family had said previously they would take him to their hometown of Kobayat, in northern Lebanon, where a reception is planned. Abdallah was detained in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for his involvement in the murders of U.S. military attache Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in Paris. 'Past symbol' The Paris Court of Appeal had ordered his release "effective July 25" on the condition that he leave French territory and never return. While he had been eligible for release since 1999, his previous requests were denied with the United States -- a civil party to the case -- consistently opposing him leaving prison. Inmates serving life sentences in France are typically freed after fewer than 30 years. Mr. Abdallah's lawyer, Jean-Louis Chalanset, visited for a final time on Thursday. "He seemed very happy about his upcoming release, even though he knows he is returning to the Middle East in an extremely tough context for Lebanese and Palestinian populations," Chalanset told AFP. AFP visited Mr. Abdallah last week after the court's release decision, accompanying a lawmaker to the detention centre. The founder of the Lebanese Revolutionary Armed Factions (FARL) -- a long-disbanded Marxist anti-Israel group -- said for more than four decades he had continued to be a "militant with a struggle". After his arrest in 1984, French police discovered submachine guns and transceiver stations in one of his Paris apartments. The appeals court in February noted that the FARL "had not committed a violent action since 1984" and that Abdallah "today represented a past symbol of the Palestinian struggle". The appeals judges also found the length of his detention "disproportionate" to the crimes and given his age.
Mint
34 minutes ago
- Mint
Robotaxis on the road? Tesla's San Francisco launch could take place soon: Report
Tesla is reportedly gearing up to launch its long-anticipated robotaxi service in San Francisco as early as this weekend, according to a Business Insider report that cites an internal company memo. The move marks a significant step in the company's autonomous vehicle ambitions, although the robotaxi programme remains in its infancy. Tesla is said to have carried out a limited trial earlier this year in Austin, Texas, under tightly controlled conditions. The reported service area spans a large portion of the Bay Area, stretching from Marin County and San Francisco through the East Bay and as far south as San Jose. According to the memo, some existing Tesla owners may receive invitations to access the service following the early launch, which could come as soon as Friday. Tesla has not officially confirmed the launch timeline. The company did not respond to media queries regarding the Business Insider report. Meanwhile, The Information reported that Tesla is falling behind on another of its high-profile projects, the production of its Optimus humanoid robot. CEO Elon Musk had previously stated a goal of manufacturing at least 5,000 units this year, but only a few hundred are said to have been built so far. Musk has recently pushed Tesla's focus further toward robotics and autonomous mobility, as sales of its existing electric vehicles show signs of slowing. Regulatory approval remains a major hurdle. Although Musk said during this week's earnings call that the company is securing regulatory clearance to deploy robotaxis in California, Nevada, Arizona and Florida, questions remain about Tesla's legal readiness in its home state. California's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) told Reuters on Wednesday that Tesla has yet to submit the necessary applications to operate a paid robotaxi service within the state. Operating autonomous vehicles for commercial passenger transport in California requires a combination of permits from both the DMV and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Neither the DMV nor CPUC provided comment when approached about Tesla's status. (With inputs from Reuters)
