Musk's X says it won't cooperate with 'politically motivated' French 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
11 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump thinks he's winning on trade, but America will lose
MORE than 100 days after President Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day', the new global trading order is becoming clear. It is a system of imperial preference. Canada has angered the president, partly by planning to recognise Palestine as a state, and so it faces a duty of 35%. Because Mr Trump reckons that exporters unfairly cheat America, on July 31st he said he would impose 'reciprocal' tariffs on many trading partners, ranging from 10% to 41%. Meanwhile, in order to ward off tariff threats the European Union, Japan and South Korea have all struck deals with Mr Trump, where they promise to open their markets and invest hundreds of billions of dollars in America, in return for levies on their exports of 15%. A seductive idea is settling in that America is winning from all this. The president has, after all, got his biggest trading partners to make deals that are closer to his demands than theirs. Financial markets have shrugged off higher duties, the real economy shows little sign of damage and all the time tariff revenues are rolling in. But that thinking is deeply misguided. The game is not over. And it is one that America cannot win. For all the crowing about how Trump Always Chickens Out, the president has pressed forward with tariffs. America's effective tariff rate is due to rise to 18% on August 7th, according to the Yale Budget Lab, nearly eight times the prevailing rate last year, and back to levels last seen in the Depression. The way MAGA paints it, this is a triumph for Mr Trump, because America's trading partners are eating higher tariffs, helping US Customs rake in nigh on $30bn in revenues a month. Unfortunately, that idea is gaining currency even outside America. Soon after the eu struck its deal with Mr Trump, opponents in European capitals lamented the fact that the bloc would have to pay. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of trade economics. Years of experience show that tariffs do not harm the sellers of goods as much as they harm the buyers. The more the president raises tariffs, the more his own compatriots will be deprived of choice at low prices. Even though foreign suppliers are lowering their prices more steeply than after Mr Trump's first-term tariffs, analysts at Goldman Sachs reckon that fully four-fifths of tariff costs have so far been borne by American firms and consumers. Just ask Ford, or GM: the carmakers reckon they paid $800m and $1.1bn in tariff costs, respectively, in the second quarter of this year alone. What of the muted economic and financial market reaction so far? The IMF has raised its projections for both global and American economic growth this year, compared with forecasts it made in April. Although it has fallen since Mr Trump signed his order, the S&P 500 remains nearly 12% higher than it was on Liberation Day; the dollar, though down, has strengthened in recent weeks. The answer is that the economy is being buffeted by various forces, including heavy stockpiling before tariffs came into effect—delaying the pain, but not eliminating it—as well as an extraordinary boom in artificial-intelligence-based capital spending. According to Renaissance Macro Research, capital investments in AI have contributed more to America's gdp growth in the past two quarters than all of consumer spending. Partly propelled by this, stockmarkets have gone from strength to strength. Perhaps, too, investors believe that companies will adapt to higher tariffs. The incentive to route trade through places with relatively low duties will be strong—even though Mr Trump has vowed to punish such 'trans-shipment' with tariffs of 40%. An uncomfortable dynamic has also set in: because investors think that the president will eventually chicken out, they are emboldening him to press ahead. As he does so, however, the long-term costs to the economy will mount. In the name of fairness Mr Trump is discarding a multilateral system in which tariffs were charged on the same goods, regardless of where they came from. In its place is a bilateral system where products can face differential rates depending on their origin. These new rates are not just higher; they are subject to ceaseless bargaining over almost any issue. Just this week, those issues included the Brazilian courts' pursuit of a Trump ally and a border war between Thailand and Cambodia. Because tariff policy is set by one man alone, the bargaining will be subject to lobbying and presidential whim. Because of who he is, Mr Trump will consider exemptions when he is next flattered, and threaten duties when he is next displeased. American shoppers will pay the price. Once they were spoilt for choice, as both domestic and foreign producers competed to sell to them. Now the companies that succeed will do so not only because they are the most innovative, but also because they are the cleverest at playing the system. And remember that a ratchet effect is at work here. When—or rather, if—future presidents want to restore tariffs to their original level, they will be met by furious lobbying from American firms that got used to sheltering behind tariff barriers and have thereby become uncompetitive in world markets. Everything about this is harmful. And, whatever Mr Trump says, nothing about it is fair.
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Trump pushes 'Most Favoured Nation' plan to slash US drug prices, defends tariff policy
Synopsis President Trump announced his plan to lower prescription drug prices in the US through the "Most Favoured Nation" pricing model, aiming to match the lower prices found in European nations. He has been pressuring pharmaceutical companies to comply, threatening penalties if they don't offer lower prices to US patients, particularly Medicaid enrollees, within 60 days. ANI Representative Image US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) said he aimed to cut pharmaceutical drug prices through the "Most Favoured Nation" prescription drug pricing to reporters before boarding Air Force One in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Trump said the US would pay the lowest drug prices, similar to those in European nations."We want the same price as Europe gets. We want the same price as other countries get ... We will pay as low as the lowest nation in the world. The next big move is going to be the price of drugs because you could buy something in London or in Germany... sometimes 1/10th the price of what it costs to buy it in New York... We're not doing that anymore," he has been pressuring major drugmakers to align US drug prices with those available abroad, but industry experts told CNN they do not expect pharmaceutical companies to Thursday, Trump sent letters to CEOs of 17 major pharmaceutical firms, demanding they extend "Most Favoured Nation" pricing—the lowest price paid for a drug in a peer country—to all drugs supplied to Medicaid enrollees. He gave the companies 60 days to comply. This directive follows an executive order Trump signed in May, requiring drugmakers to offer lower prices to US patients or face Trump defended his tariff policy, saying it would help reduce national debt. "We're going to pay down debt. We have a lot of money coming in, much more money than the country's ever seen, by hundreds of billions of dollars... we should've done this many years ago," he said.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Trump pushes 'Most Favoured Nation' plan to slash US drug prices, defends tariff policy
President Trump announced his plan to lower prescription drug prices in the US through the "Most Favoured Nation" pricing model, aiming to match the lower prices found in European nations. He has been pressuring pharmaceutical companies to comply, threatening penalties if they don't offer lower prices to US patients, particularly Medicaid enrollees, within 60 days. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) said he aimed to cut pharmaceutical drug prices through the "Most Favoured Nation" prescription drug pricing to reporters before boarding Air Force One in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Trump said the US would pay the lowest drug prices, similar to those in European nations."We want the same price as Europe gets. We want the same price as other countries get ... We will pay as low as the lowest nation in the world. The next big move is going to be the price of drugs because you could buy something in London or in Germany... sometimes 1/10th the price of what it costs to buy it in New York... We're not doing that anymore," he has been pressuring major drugmakers to align US drug prices with those available abroad, but industry experts told CNN they do not expect pharmaceutical companies to Thursday, Trump sent letters to CEOs of 17 major pharmaceutical firms, demanding they extend "Most Favoured Nation" pricing—the lowest price paid for a drug in a peer country—to all drugs supplied to Medicaid enrollees. He gave the companies 60 days to directive follows an executive order Trump signed in May, requiring drugmakers to offer lower prices to US patients or face Trump defended his tariff policy , saying it would help reduce national debt. "We're going to pay down debt. We have a lot of money coming in, much more money than the country's ever seen, by hundreds of billions of dollars... we should've done this many years ago," he said.
