US Slams France for Investigating Elon Musk's X as 'Foreign Censorship'

In a growing international dispute, the United States has condemned France's decision to launch a criminal investigation into social media platform X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk. France 24 reports that the US State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor described the move as an act of 'foreign censorship.'

The investigation, spearheaded by a French activist prosecutor, targets X's proprietary algorithm, categorizing the platform as an 'organized crime group.' The US stressed the importance of allowing diverse voices, warning against the silencing of speech. France's cybercrime prosecutors began the inquiry on July 11, probing potential data manipulation by automated systems.

X, formerly known as Twitter, categorically denied the accusations, branding them politically motivated. It rebuffed the prosecutor's demands for access to its recommendation algorithm and real-time data. The investigation's origins trace back to complaints filed in January, highlighting alleged risks to democratic discourse under Musk's leadership.