French Prosecutors Investigate Claims of Foreign Interference via X Algorithm

French authorities have launched an investigation into allegations that social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, manipulated its algorithm to enable “foreign interference,” the Paris prosecutor’s office announced on Friday.

Prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that the inquiry will focus on the actions of the company and its senior management, following two formal complaints filed in January.

While Beccuau did not mention X owner Elon Musk by name, the investigation will include scrutiny of the platform’s management practices since his acquisition of the company in 2022.

The first complaint, filed on January 12 by centrist Member of Parliament Éric Bothorel—an expert on cybersecurity and member of President Emmanuel Macron’s party—alleges that recent algorithm changes and management decisions under Musk’s leadership have compromised the platform’s integrity.

Bothorel expressed concern over what he described as a “reduction in the diversity of voices and opinions,” which he believes undermines a secure and respectful digital environment.

He also criticized the lack of transparency around algorithmic adjustments and content moderation, along with “personal interventions from Elon Musk” in the platform’s operations.

“These developments pose a real danger and a threat to our democracies,” Bothorel warned.

According to Le Canard Enchaîné, a second complaint was filed by a cybersecurity director within the French public administration.

The complaint highlights a “major modification in the algorithm” that allegedly increased the visibility of hateful, racist, anti-LGBTQ, and homophobic political content. It argues that this shift distorts democratic discourse in France.

The investigation is ongoing, and French authorities have yet to publicly comment on possible outcomes or next steps.