logo
X Says it Will Resist ‘Politically Motivated' French Probe

X Says it Will Resist ‘Politically Motivated' French Probe

Yahoo4 days ago
(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk's X said it won't accede to French authorities' demands in a probe into alleged bias and manipulation of the social media platform's algorithm.
Why the Federal Reserve's Building Renovation Costs $2.5 Billion
Milan Corruption Probe Casts Shadow Over Property Boom
How San Jose's Mayor Is Working to Build an AI Capital
'X remains in the dark as to the specific allegations made against the platform,' the company said in a post on its Global Government Affairs handle on Monday. 'X believes that this investigation is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech.'
Earlier in July, Paris prosecutors opened an investigation into suspected interference and fraudulent data extraction from 'an automatic data-processing system.' The probe follows two reports from lawmaker Eric Bothorel and a high-level official at a French public institution alleging X's algorithm was being used for foreign interference.
X denies the allegations and said the probe stemmed from biased experts who have previously been involved in campaigns dedicated to getting users to quit X or 'demonstrate open hostility towards X.'
'The involvement of these individuals raises serious concerns about the impartiality, fairness, and political motivations of the investigation, to put it charitably. A predetermined outcome is not a fair one,' X said in the post.
The company is also being investigated by the European Union over compliance with the bloc's Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to tackle illegal content and disinformation and follow transparency rules. The EU is leading a global crackdown on harmful online content and disinformation that's sparked increasingly vocal responses from Musk, who has said such measures restrict free speech.
--With assistance from Gaspard Sebag.
A Rebel Army Is Building a Rare-Earth Empire on China's Border
Elon Musk's Empire Is Creaking Under the Strain of Elon Musk
Thailand's Changing Cannabis Rules Leave Farmers in a Tough Spot
How Starbucks' CEO Plans to Tame the Rush-Hour Free-for-All
What the Tough Job Market for New College Grads Says About the Economy
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Real Madrid ready to admit DEFEAT over Ibrahima Konate
Real Madrid ready to admit DEFEAT over Ibrahima Konate

Yahoo

time17 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Real Madrid ready to admit DEFEAT over Ibrahima Konate

Bubbling away in the background of a landmark Liverpool summer transfer window has been the saga of . The Reds under sporting director have been busy adding quality all over the pitch - with Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili all arriving. LFC x New Era Shop Now LFC Signed Merch Shop Now LFC x Titleist Shop Now But centre-back has been suggested as an area potentially in need of attention considering the contract situation revolving around Konate. The 26-year-old has got less than 12 months left on his current deal - expiring in June 2026. So far there has been no breakthrough over a new deal - with it earlier reported that the France defender would be seeking £200k per week to renew. Konate a priority Madrid target However those reports were superseded by ones stating that Konate had made up his mind and would DECLINE a renewal from the Reds. Liverpool, it was mooted, would be powerless to prevent Konate from running down his deal and joining Real Madrid for free in 2026. Only things are not working out that way. Madrid have got reason to believe that adding Konate as a new free transfer is not going to be as easy as they first thought. First came the reports from France declaring that Liverpool had made a new contract offer to Konate. Madrid plot Konate Plan B And while that offer has not been answered as yet, it was enough to scare the Madrid media into reporting that adding Konate was now tougher than ever. That's been followed up with a report in Defensa Central which states that Xabi Alonso is now activating Plan B as Konate slips from their grasp. 'Xabi Alonso is seriously considering the possibility of counting on Joan Martínez,' the report reads, adding that the Madrid academy graduate is now due a promotion. © IMAGO Madrid rolling back from Konate claims The reason for the 17-year-old being drafted into the first-team picture is increasing uncertainty over the fate of Konate. Madrid media are now rowing back from their previous claims that the Konate deal was all but done. That should give us an indication of how they feel Liverpool contract talks are going to go. Konate should take a look around at what Liverpool have added this summer and provided the club can match his demands he needs to commit his future long-term to the reigning Premier League title holders.

Could this California company challenge SpaceX's Falcon 9? What to know about Rocket Lab
Could this California company challenge SpaceX's Falcon 9? What to know about Rocket Lab

USA Today

time18 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Could this California company challenge SpaceX's Falcon 9? What to know about Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab has increasingly been in the news over mounting anticipation for the first launch of its upcoming Neutron rocket. Rocket Lab, a spaceflight company based in California, has spent years building up a reputation as a reliable launch service provider for small satellites. Now, though, the venture has its sights set on bigger targets: Procuring some of those lucrative government and commercial contracts that have long been the domain of Elon Musk's Texas-based SpaceX. Maybe you've heard about Rocket Lab's diminutive Electron launch vehicle, which the company bills as the second-most active rocket in the U.S. Or maybe you've heard about its next-generation Neutron spacecraft, which could soon be making its inaugural flight from Virginia. Whichever may be the case, here's everything to know for those interested in Rocket Lab and its future plans for spaceflight. What is Rocket Lab? Rocket Lab is a launch service provider and spaceflight company founded in 2006 and based in Long Beach, California. The company operates out of three launch pads at two launch sites, including one in New Zealand and two in Virginia at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. Rocket Lab Neutron launch date Rocket Lab has increasingly been in the news over mounting anticipation for the first launch of its upcoming Neutron rocket. The satellite launch vehicle is central to Rocket Lab's plans to shift from small satellite deployments to missions with heavier payloads. But when exactly the Neutron rocket could make its orbital debut has yet to be determined. Rocket Lab continues to work through a checklist of requirements before Neutron can get off the ground for its maiden flight. That includes integrating – or stacking – the rocket stages and getting its commercial launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the company's first-quarter earnings presentation provided to the USA TODAY Network. The good news? Construction on infrastructure at the launch pad is on schedule, according to the report. Earlier in July, Rocket Lab also announced that the company had awarded a contract to shipbuilder Bollinger Shipyards to support the build of a 400-foot ocean landing platform named "Return On Investment." But the challenge for Rocket Lab will be in transporting the components of the Neutron to the facility, according to the website TechCrunch. The vehicle must be shipped in segments to Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 3 in Virginia, where it will be fully mated as a rocket. Could Neutron challenge SpaceX, Falcon 9? Many space industry analysts have said that Neutron could emerge as a credible challenger to SpaceX's Falcon 9 in the medium-lift launch market. Rocket Lab is developing the Neutron rocket – which already has contracts with the Department of Defense – for commercial, civil and military space operations. That includes satellite constellation deployments, cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station and interplanetary missions. The arena is one that SpaceX, founded by billionaire Elon Musk in 2002, has dominated for years with its Falcon 9 rocket – one of the most active rockets in the world. The Falcon 9 is routinely the rocket of choice to launch NASA astronaut missions to the International Space Station and is the exclusive launch provider for Musk's Starlink satellite deliveries. At 141-feet-tall, Neutron is smaller in stature than SpaceX's two-stage, 230-foot Falcon 9. But like the Falcon 9, Neutron is designed to be reusable so that it can launch more frequently. Its design features an integrated system that brings Neutron's first stage and payload fairings back to Earth as a single stage. Capable of delivering about a 14-ton (more than 28,600 pounds) payload to low-Earth before landing, Neutron is powered by Rocket Lab's newly developed Archimedes engine. Rocket Lab's emergence also comes at a time of mounting public discord between Musk and President Donald Trump. What is Rocket Lab's Electron rocket? Rocket Lab has already spent years reliably launching its smaller Electron rocket to deliver small satellites and other payloads to orbit for civil and commercial contractors. At 59 feet tall, Electron is capable of carrying just 661 pounds of cargo to space, according to Rocket Lab. A version of the rocket is also tailored for Rocket Lab's hypersonic HASTE launches. One of the two launch complexes where Electron can launch is right next door to the Neutron's new launch complex. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, the Electron has delivered more than 200 satellites to orbit and become one of the most frequently launched U.S. rockets, second only to the Falcon 9, according to Rocket Lab. In June alone, the Electron launched four times on both government and commercial missions, according to Rocket Lab. The most recent mission came June 28 when the Electron launched a single satellite to space for "a confidential commercial customer," Rocket Lab announced in a press release. The mission was the second of two launches from the same launch site in less than 48 hours, a new launch record for the company. Is Rocket Lab a good stock to buy? Whether to invest Unlike SpaceX, Rocket Lab is publicly traded. While Rocket Lab's stock is up 800% over the past year, according to Forbes, the company is not yet profitable. "A lot hinges on Rocket Lab's ability to evolve its revenue model and reach sustained profitability," Sasirekha Subramanian, an equity research content expert, wrote for Forbes. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store