French prosecutors opened an investigation against Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) over claims that it manipulated its algorithm to distort the online discourse.
Paris’ public prosecutor confirmed it had received a complaint from French legislator Eric Bothorel on 12 January accusing X using “biased algorithm” which could have distorted automated processing of data.
CNBC reports that the case was assigned to the cybercrime division of the prosecutor, who is currently conducting technical tests to evaluate the claims.
Since Musk bought the platform in 2022 for 44 billion dollars, X’s content moderating policies have been scrutinized.
This latest investigation is a response to the growing concern about how X’s algorithms could be influencing public discourse and political narratives.
The European Union has also launched a separate investigation into X in relation to possible violations of the Digital Services Act. This law requires social media platforms that they prevent harmful content from spreading.
As part of its investigation into the DSA, the European Commission demanded that X provide internal documents detailing their algorithms no later than February 15, 2010.
X has been accused by critics of amplifying right-wing content and politicians. Reports suggest that the algorithms are biased towards certain ideologies.
Musk has attracted attention by publicly supporting Germany’s extreme-right Alternative fur Deutschland party (AfD), even making a virtual surprise appearance at a political event.
The outcome of the investigations may have significant impact on X’s operation and the broader discussion around algorithmic transparency and social media influence.
The original post French prosecutors are investigating Elon Musk’s X for alleged algorithmic manipulation was published on ICD
