Latest news with #GlobalGovernmentAffairs
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Musk's X says it won't cooperate with 'politically motivated' French probe
Elon Musk's X on Monday accused French prosecutors of launching a "politically-motivated criminal investigation" that threatens its users' free speech , denying all allegations against it and saying it would not cooperate with the probe. Earlier this month, Paris prosecutors stepped up a preliminary probe into the social media platform for suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent data extraction . Police can now conduct searches, wiretaps and surveillance against Musk and X executives, or summon them to testify. If they do not comply, a judge could issue an arrest warrant. "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," X posted on its Global Government Affairs account. As a result, X said it had refused Paris prosecutors' request for "access to X's recommendation algorithm and real-time data ... as we have a legal right to do." The Paris prosecutor's office did not respond to accusations of political bias, but confirmed it had sent a judicial request to X on July 19, asking for access solely to its algorithm. It said it had offered X a secure channel to share the information with investigators, who would have had confidential access to the data, but had yet to receive an official response from the company. Failure to comply with a judicial request can range from a fine to obstruction of justice charges. Musk, a former ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, has accused European governments of attacking free speech and has voiced support for some of the region's far-right parties. The French probe could deepen a rift between Washington and European capitals over what sort of discourse is permitted online, with senior U.S. officials alleging the censoring of right-wing voices around the world. The European Commission has been investigating X for breaching its digital transparency rules against illegal content, known as the Digital Services Act , since late 2023. X criticised the fact that the probe was being investigated under organised crime charges, which could allow police to wiretap its employees' personal devices. The alleged crimes carry maximum sentences of up to 10 years, the Paris prosecutor's office said. X said the probe had been instigated by French lawmaker Eric Bothorel , who had accused it of "manipulating its algorithm for 'foreign interference' purposes", an allegation it said was "completely false". Bothorel, in a statement, defended the independence of the French judiciary. "It's a concept that seems completely upended in the United States at the moment," he said, adding that France was committed to free speech but not without limits. "The absence of responsibility and oversight endangers freedom just as much as prohibitions and censorship do." PREVIOUS RESEARCH X said Paris prosecutors had requested it hand over data for analysis by researchers David Chavalarias and Maziyar Panahi, who it said had both exhibited "open hostility towards X". Chavalarias did not respond to a request for comment. Panahi denied any involvement in the investigation. "My name was mentioned by mistake, based on my previous research projects with David Chavalarias, none of which have ever had any hostile intent toward X," he said in an email. "The fact my name has been mentioned in such an erroneous manner demonstrates how little regard they have for the lives of others ... I will not hesitate to pursue legal action for defamation should I receive any form of hate speech." A spokesperson for X said the company stood by its statement.
The Hindu
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Musk's X says it won't cooperate with 'politically motivated' French probe
Elon Musk's X on Monday accused French prosecutors of launching a "politically-motivated criminal investigation" that threatens its users' free speech, denying all allegations against it and saying it would not cooperate with the probe. Earlier this month, Paris prosecutors stepped up a preliminary probe into the social media platform for suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent data extraction, authorising police to conduct searches, wiretaps and surveillance against Musk and X executives, or summon them to testify. If they do not comply, a judge could issue an arrest warrant. "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 social network posted on its Global Government Affairs account. "For these reasons, X has not acceded to the French authorities' demands, as we have a legal right to do." It was not immediately clear what sort of request prosecutors had sent to X, but failure to comply with a judicial request can range from a fine to obstruction of justice charges. The Paris prosecutors' office did not respond to a request for comment. X said the probe had been instigated by Eric Bothorel, a French lawmaker, who had accused X of "manipulating its algorithm for 'foreign interference' purposes", an allegation it said was "completely false". Bothorel, in a statement, defended the independence of the French judiciary. "It's a concept that seems completely upended in the United States at the moment," he said, adding that France was committed to free speech but not without limits. "The absence of responsibility and oversight endangers freedom just as much as prohibitions and censorship do." Musk, a former ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, has accused European governments of attacking free speech and has voiced support for some of the region's far-right parties. The French probe could deepen a rift between Washington and European capitals over what sort of discourse is permitted online, with senior U.S. officials alleging the censoring of right-wing voices around the world. The European Commission has been investigating X for breaching its digital transparency rules against illegal content, known as the Digital Services Act, since late 2023. PREVIOUS RESEARCH X said Paris prosecutors had requested it hand over data on all user posts for analysis by researchers David Chavalarias and Maziyar Panahi, who it said had both exhibited "open hostility towards X". Chavalarias did not respond to a request for comment. Panahi denied any involvement in the investigation. "My name was mentioned by mistake, based on my previous research projects with David Chavalarias, none of which have ever had any hostile intent toward X," he said in an email. "The fact my name has been mentioned in such an erroneous manner demonstrates how little regard they have for the lives of others ... I will not hesitate to pursue legal action for defamation should I receive any form of hate speech." X did not respond to a request for comment on Panahi's statement. X also criticised the fact that it was being investigated under organised crime charges, which could allow police to wiretap its employees' personal devices.
Express Tribune
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
X declines to cooperate with French probe
Elon Musk's X on Monday accused French prosecutors of launching a "politically-motivated criminal investigation" that threatens its users' free speech, denying all allegations against it and saying it would not cooperate with the probe. Earlier this month, Paris prosecutors stepped up a preliminary probe into the social media platform for suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent data extraction. Police can now conduct searches, wiretaps and surveillance against Musk and X executives, or summon, or even arrest them to testify. "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," X posted on its Global Government Affairs account. As a result, X said it had refused Paris prosecutors' request for "access to X's recommendation algorithm and real-time data ...as we have a legal right to do."
Mint
a day ago
- Business
- Mint
X slams French prosecutors' ‘political' probe over algorithm manipulation and data extraction, refuses data access
Elon Musk's social media platform X has accused French prosecutors of launching a "politically-motivated criminal investigation" that threatens free speech and violates legal norms. The platform, formerly known as Twitter, said it would not cooperate with the probe, denying all allegations of wrongdoing. 'X believes that this investigation is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech,' the company posted via its Global Government Affairs account on Monday. Earlier this month, Paris prosecutors escalated their preliminary probe into a full criminal investigation. The focus: suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent data extraction by X. This move gives police sweeping powers, including conducting searches, wiretaps, and placing executives under surveillance. Authorities can now summon Musk or X executives for testimony. Should they refuse, judges may issue arrest warrants. Prosecutors sent a judicial request on July 19 asking for access to X's recommendation algorithm and real-time data. X declined, asserting its legal right to do so. 'We refused the request as we have a legal right to do,' X said. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed the request and stated that a secure channel was offered to protect data confidentiality. It has not yet received an official reply from the company. Refusal to comply could result in fines or charges of obstruction of justice. X has also objected to the case being investigated under organized crime statutes, which could allow French authorities to wiretap the personal devices of X employees. The prosecutor's office noted that the alleged offenses carry maximum penalties of up to 10 years in prison. Musk, a former ally of Donald Trump, has repeatedly accused European governments of suppressing free expression. The dispute is likely to intensify transatlantic tensions over content regulation. The European Commission has been investigating X since late 2023 for suspected violations of the Digital Services Act, a law aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in digital platforms. X claims the case was instigated by French MP Eric Bothorel, who accused the platform of algorithm manipulation for foreign interference — an allegation X called 'completely false.' Bothorel defended the probe: 'France is committed to free speech but not without limits. The absence of responsibility and oversight endangers freedom just as much as prohibitions and censorship do,' he said. X also criticised the involvement of researchers David Chavalarias and Maziyar Panahi, accusing them of hostility toward the platform. Panahi denied any involvement: 'My name was mentioned by mistake… I will not hesitate to pursue legal action for defamation should I receive any form of hate speech,' he said in an email. A spokesperson for X reiterated that the company stands by its statement and continues to oppose what it sees as a dangerous precedent for politically driven investigations into free expression.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
X says French accusations of data tampering and fraud are politically motivated
Elon Musk's social media platform X has denied accusations from French prosecutors of alleged data tampering and fraud, calling them 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 offences. Both offences involved an 'automated data processing system', according to prosecutors, who provided few details of the alleged wrongdoing. They are potentially punishable in France with a jail term of up to 10 years. 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. French authorities have launched a politically-motivated criminal investigation into X over the alleged manipulation of its algorithm and alleged 'fraudulent data extraction.' X categorically denies these allegations. This investigation, instigated by French politician Eric… — Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) July 21, 2025 The prosecutor's office has said it acted on information that two people provided in January to its cyber crimes unit. One of them is a member of parliament, and the other is a senior official in a French government institution. It did not 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.' The Paris prosecutor's office said that it has asked X to grant police investigators access to its algorithm, as part of the probe. The request was made in a letter last week, it said. It said that 'investigators are bound by confidentiality and that only those in charge of the investigation will have access'. The office said it has not had a formal response from X.
