Musk's X says it won't cooperate with 'politically motivated' French probe
Earlier this month, Paris prosecutors stepped up a preliminary probe into X for suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent data extraction, enlisting police to investigate alleged wrongdoing by the company or its executives.
"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."
In the blistering attack, X also 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 which is completely false".
The Paris prosecutors' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither did Bothorel.
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 officials from Trump's administration alleging the censoring of right-wing voices around the world.
X said Paris prosecutors had requested it hand over "recommendation algorithm and real-time data about all user posts on the platform", for analysis by researchers David Chavalarias and Maziyar Panahi, who it said had both exhibited "open hostility towards X", calling into question the impartiality of the investigation.
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."
Chavalarias did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
X also chafed at the fact that it was being investigated under organised crime charges, which it said would grant the police measures including wiretapping its employees' personal devices.
Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of the Telegram messaging app, is also under judicial supervision in France after being arrested last year and placed under formal investigation for alleged organised crime on the app. He denies guilt.
Early in July, Musk responded "true" to a post on X in which Durov said the French "bureaucrats" investigating X were "waging a crusade against free speech and tech progress".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Governor Bailey is wrong: We should embrace the digital pound
Is the digital pound dead in the water? More than 100 countries are looking at the creation of their very own digital currencies. China already has one. The EU is developing a digital euro at pace. But the Bank of England? It seems to be tacking the opposite way to the rest of the world. Andrew Bailey told MPs on the Treasury Committee that he would need 'a lot of convincing' to greenlight a launch, which the Bank has already said couldn't happen until sometime in the 'second half of the current decade' anyway. Is this an opportunity missed? Even a case where the governor's conservatism threatens to leave Britons in the digital dark ages? First off, I should explain what the digital pound actually is. Digi-pounds (that's not the official name; I'm not sure we have one yet) would be currency issued by the Bank that could be stored in a digital wallet provided by a company like, say, Apple. This would allow you to pay for things directly, without the need for the card you currently have to have set up to use Apple Pay. People could also pay you by the same means. PS, Apple CEO Tim Cook isn't paying either me or The Independent for the mention. I'm using Apple Pay as an example because it's a service I use. Bailey is distinctly unimpressed with the idea of this new form of money. His preferred option is to help the market improve digital payment tech, which he said could deliver 'huge benefits'. Fraud reduction, lower costs, faster payments to SMEs, which at this point are probably saying chance would be a fine thing. "That's a sensible place to do it because that's where most of our money is," the governor opined. But here's an idea: why not simply do both? Is that really so hard? Or is the Bank yet again in 'can't do' mode? It is true that there are legitimate concerns about digital currencies. Sceptics worry about vulnerability to hacking. Fears have also been expressed about their making it easier to launder money, even to facilitate terrorist financing. Criminals took up Bitcoin with alacrity. Lately, they have favoured so-called ' stablecoins ', the value of which are linked to an underlying commodity or an existing currency such as the dollar. On the flip side, some critics have voiced fears about digital currencies being used to facilitate government snooping. This has been a big concern with the Chinese version given the obsessive interest in what its citizens do, say and even think of that country's government. But every new technology comes with pluses and minuses. It would be better for Bailey to accept that and roll with the punches. Bitcoin and its ilk already have a legion of fans in this country. If people like the concept of central bank issued digital currencies, there would theoretically be nothing to stop them from using digital euros if and when they arrive. There are already outlets in London that accept the paper equivalent (and dollars and yen while we're at it). Here's a potential selling point for your business: 'We accept the digital euros!' Right now, the central bank looks flat-footed, a very obvious laggard, largely thanks to the conservatism of the governor. I suspect some of Bailey's caution can be tracked back to his time at the head of the Financial Conduct Authority, a fairly thankless, if well remunerated, task at the best of times. Its CEO tends to get the blame for everything and the credit for nothing. Launching a new form of money is bound to create challenges and it will once again be Bailey's head on the block if something goes wrong. There have lately have been suggestions that the Bank could cease or at least shelve the work it has been doing on a digital pound. That would be a mistake. Digital currencies are coming. The Bank should accept that and prepare for the future. The governor badly needs to pull his legs out of the mud in which they're stuck.
The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
Keir Starmer says UK in plans to airdrop aid & evacuate children in Gaza as pressure mounts on PM over Palestine
PRIME Minister Sir Keir Starmer has told French and German leaders that the UK will be 'taking forward' plans to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance in Gaza. Downing Street said that it would be working with Jordan on the rescue effort. 2 2 The PM held emergency talks with Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz today amid growing anger at the starving popuation. Number 10 delivered a readout of the call which said: "It would be vital to ensure robust plans are in place to turn an urgently needed ceasefire into lasting peace. "The Prime Minister set out how the UK will also be taking forward plans to work with partners such as Jordan to air drop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance." It comes as pressure is mounting on the PM to recognise the state of Palestine. More than a third of MPs signed a letter calling on the government to recognise the state. On Thursday, Macron announced that France will recognise a Palestinian state in September. Keir Starmer has said that "statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestianian people" but is yet to commit to a timeline for recognising it as a state.
Reuters
29 minutes ago
- Reuters
Pope Leo meets Russian Orthodox Church official in Vatican
VATICAN CITY, July 26 (Reuters) - Pope Leo met on Saturday with Metropolitan Anthony, a senior cleric in the Russian Orthodox Church, in a possible effort to ease ties between the churches strained by the invasion of Ukraine. The pontiff saw Anthony, chairman of the department of external church relations, and five other high-profile clerics during an audience in the morning, the Vatican said in a statement without further elaborating. Since assuming the papacy in May, Leo has repeatedly appealed for peace in global conflicts and this month told visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that the Vatican was willing to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Russian officials, however, have said they do not view the Vatican as a serious venue for talks because it is surrounded by NATO member Italy which has supported Ukraine. In his first call with President Vladimir Putin, at the beginning of June, Pope Leo urged Russia to take steps towards ending the conflict. The head of Russia's Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has been an enthusiastic backer of the invasion of Ukraine.
