A French probe into alleged foreign interference and bias via the algorithm at Elon Musk-owned social network X is "politically motivated", the company said in a post Monday, adding that it was refusing to cooperate.
"X believes that this investigation is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech," the social network said.
It added that it "has not acceded to the French authorities' demands" to access its recommendation algorithm and real-time data, "as we have a legal right to do".
Earlier this month, Paris prosecutors stepped up a preliminary probe into X for suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent data extraction, enlisting police to investigate alleged wrongdoing by the company or its executives.
Cybercrime prosecutors announced the opening of the probe on 11 July into suspected crimes including manipulating and extracting data from automated systems "as part of a criminal gang".
Musk, a former ally of US President Donald Trump, has accused European governments of attacking free speech and has voiced support for some of the region's far-right parties.
The French probe could deepen a rift between Washington and European capitals over what sort of discourse is permitted online, with senior officials from Trump's administration alleging the censoring of right-wing voices around the world.
' Foreign interference'
The move also followed two complaints received in January about "foreign interference" in French politics via X, one of them from Eric Bothorel, an MP from President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party.
Bothorel had complained of "reduced diversity of voices and options" and Musk's "personal interventions" on the network since his 2022 takeover of the former Twitter.
The Tesla and SpaceX chief has raised hackles in Europe with political sallies, including vocal backing for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of February legislative elections.
"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 after the investigation was announced.
The company responded Monday saying, "Mr Bothorel has accused X of manipulating its algorithm for 'foreign interference' purposes, an allegation which is completely false."
Prosecutors have not confirmed whether they are also investigating under a French law against foreign interference in politics passed last year.
French bias?
X also complained of bias in French authorities' choice of experts to examine its algorithm, including mathematician David Chavalarias and computer scientist Maziyar Panahi.
Both have been involved in a scheme called "HelloQuitteX", designed to make it easier for users to migrate their X presence to other social networks.
Picking them "raises serious concerns about the impartiality, fairness and political motivations of the investigation", the company said.
It also objected to the use of the "organised gang" aggravating circumstance.
The characterisation "is usually reserved for drug cartels or mafia groups" and "enables the French police to deploy extensive investigative powers... including wiretapping the personal devices of X employees," the company said.
Panahi denied any involvement in the investigation. "My name was mentioned by mistake, based on my previous research projects with David Chavalarias, none of which have ever had any hostile intent toward X," he said in an email.
"The fact my name has been mentioned in such an erroneous manner demonstrates how little regard they have for the lives of others ... I will not hesitate to pursue legal action for defamation should I receive any form of hate speech."
(With newswires)
