French authorities have opened a criminal investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, over allegations of data tampering and fraudulent activity, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed this week.
The inquiry, currently being conducted by a specialized branch of the French gendarmerie, is focused on two specific allegations: organised interference with the functioning of an automated data processing system, and the organized and fraudulent extraction of data from such a system.
While officials did not disclose further details of the suspected violations, the investigation reportedly targets both the platform itself and unnamed individuals, whose exact roles within X have not been specified.
The case stems from information submitted in January to the cybercrime unit by two individuals — one a member of the French parliament and the other a high-ranking official within a government institution.
Their identities, as well as the name of the institution, have not been made public.
The whistleblowers reportedly raised concerns about the alleged manipulation of X’s algorithm, suggesting its possible use for “foreign interference.”
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However, the prosecutor’s office did not elaborate on the nature of the interference or how the algorithm may have been involved.
As the investigation continues, the spotlight intensifies on the platform’s operational practices in France, potentially raising wider concerns over data security and foreign influence in digital spaces.
