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France is launching a criminal investigation into Elon Musk\u2019s X over alleged instances of algorithm manipulation for foreign interference purposes. The national gendarmerie will be tasked with the investigation, the Paris prosecutor\u2019s office announced<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a statement, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that the investigation is looking at X as a legal entity as well as unnamed individuals.\u00a0<\/p>\n Within the investigation\u2019s scope, she highlighted the two following potential offenses: \u201calteration of the operation\u201d and \u201cfraudulent extraction of data\u201d of an automated data processing system \u201cby an organized group.\u201d<\/p>\n Beccuau added that the move followed \u201cverifications, contributions from French researchers and elements brought by various public institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n In February, her office had opened an initial probe into X<\/a> following two reports<\/a> made the cybercrime section of the Paris prosecutor\u2019s office over the social network\u2019s alleged use algorithm manipulation for foreign interference purposes.<\/p>\n These reports were made by an unnamed senior official from a French public institution, which French journalists described<\/a> as a cybersecurity manager, and by a member of parliament, \u00c9ric Bothorel.<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a>, Bothorel welcomed news of the investigation moving forward, which he said \u201ccomes at a time when the new Grok update seems to be tipping over to the dark side of the force, with a predominance of questionable, even nauseating, content.\u201d<\/p>\n On July 9, X took the automated account for its AI chatbot offline after it spent Tuesday afternoon pushing antisemitic narratives<\/a>, which weren\u2019t a first<\/a>. The European Commission is \u201cin touch\u201d with X over this very topic<\/a> it said; but Bothorel\u2019s concern is broader.<\/p>\n \u201cI was convinced that information bias, which is particularly strong on the X platform, was serving Elon Musk\u2019s political opinions, and that this could only be achieved through algorithmic manipulation,\u201d the elected official stated.<\/p>\n Bothorel said he filed his report as an MP, but also as \u201ca citizen who does not want Moscow, Silicon Valley, or anyone else to distort our democratic conversations.\u201d He praised \u201cthe work of an efficient prosecutor\u2019s office, particularly its cyber section, which will likely need to be strengthened at a time when cyber threats continue to increase.\u201d<\/p>\n As Paris prosecutor, Beccuau has coordinated prosecutions related to the hacking forum BreachForums<\/a>. She is also overseeing the ongoing judicial investigation into Telegram<\/a> and its CEO Pavel Durov, who was arrested<\/a> for alleged facilitation of criminal activity on the platform. Durov has since then obtained court approval to leave France<\/a> for Dubai<\/a>, but the investigation continues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n