Paris prosecutors expand investigation into X amid free speech, data concerns

A French investigation into Elon Musk’s social networking site X intensified on Friday, when the Paris prosecutor’s office announced it had recruited police to investigate possible algorithm misuse and illicit data harvest by the firm or its officials.

The action increases the pressure on Musk, a former supporter of US President Donald Trump who has accused European governments of undermining free speech and has shown sympathy for some of the region’s far-right groups.

French authorities might perform searches, wiretaps, and surveillance on Musk and X officials, or invite them to testify. If they do not cooperate, the judge may issue an international arrest warrant.

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X did not reply to a request for comment.

Paris prosecutors launched a preliminary probe in January, after receiving complaints of alleged foreign interference by X from a lawmaker and a senior French official, Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement.

On July 9, after preliminary findings provided by researchers and French public institutions, they asked police to investigate X “as both a legal entity and through individual persons”.

The alleged crimes are “organised interference with the functioning of an automated data processing system” and “organised fraudulent extraction of data from an automated data processing system”.

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Paris prosecutors’ latest investigation of powerful tech figures may deepen a rift between Washington and European capitals over what sort of discourse is permitted online.

Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of the Telegram messaging app, is 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.

Durov’s arrest, which Musk criticised, ignited a debate about free speech that has been taken up by senior Trump officials.

Musk has used X to personally support right-wing parties and causes in France, Germany and Britain. After months in lockstep with Trump, he recently broke with the president over his federal budget, and he is now launching his own political party.