Prosecutors are reportedly seeking access to X’s recommendation algorithm and real-time data feeds, which they believe may be involved in data manipulation or dissemination of harmful content.
The United States has sharply criticized France’s criminal investigation into social media platform X, calling it an act of “foreign censorship” and a threat to free speech. The platform, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, is currently under a probe launched by cybercrime prosecutors in Paris, who are investigating suspected offenses including data manipulation and unauthorized system access.
In a post shared on X, the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor said, “As part of a criminal investigation, an activist French prosecutor is requesting information on X’s proprietary algorithm and has classified X as an ‘organized crime group.’” The bureau added, “Democratic governments should allow all voices to be heard, not silence speech they dislike. The United States will defend the free speech of all Americans against acts of foreign censorship.”
The criminal probe was initiated on July 11 after two complaints were filed in January. One of them came from Eric Bothorel, a lawmaker in French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party. Bothorel accused X of reducing “diversity of voices and options” on the platform and criticized Musk’s “personal interventions” in the company’s operations since acquiring it.
“Democracy is too fragile to let digital platform owners tell us what to think, who to vote for or even who to hate,” Bothorel said following the investigation’s announcement, as quoted by France 24.
Prosecutors are reportedly seeking access to X’s recommendation algorithm and real-time data feeds, which they believe may be involved in data manipulation or dissemination of harmful content. The charges under consideration include manipulating data systems “as part of a criminal gang.”
X has denied all allegations and condemned the investigation as politically driven. In a statement, the platform said it “categorically denies” the claims and refused to cooperate with prosecutors’ requests. “This investigation is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech,” the company asserted.
Owned by Elon Musk, who also leads Tesla and SpaceX, X has increasingly come under scrutiny in Europe. France’s investigation comes in the wake of a wider European backlash against Musk’s influence on political discourse and platform moderation. Critics have accused him of promoting far-right content and undermining platform transparency.
One flashpoint has been Musk’s vocal support for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which stirred controversy ahead of that country’s legislative elections earlier this year. His endorsements raised alarm in several European capitals over the role of social media in shaping political narratives.
The French government has defended the investigation as a matter of national sovereignty and democratic integrity. While officials have not commented directly on the US condemnation, legal experts in France have said that platforms operating in the country must comply with local laws regardless of their ownership or headquarters.
France 24 reported that the probe is likely to test the boundaries of jurisdiction over global digital platforms, especially when domestic law enforcement seeks access to proprietary algorithms and internal systems.
The case has reignited a broader transatlantic debate over free speech, platform accountability, and the role of governments in regulating digital spaces. While the United States emphasizes First Amendment protections and often views attempts to regulate speech through a political lens, many European nations have adopted stricter regulations in the name of public safety, misinformation control, and democratic safeguards.
With tensions mounting, observers are closely watching whether the French case will move forward to formal charges, and if the U.S. will escalate its objections diplomatically. In the meantime, X continues to operate in France, but its legal and political battles in Europe are far from over.
