X refuses to hand over data for ‘politically motivated’ French probe
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The news: Elon Musk’s X denied claims made by French authorities that the social media platform manipulated its algorithm and engaged in “fraudulent” data extraction, after the French government launched a criminal investigation into the company.
The context: In a post on X, the social media company’s global government affairs team said: “French authorities have launched a politically-motivated criminal investigation into X over the alleged manipulation of its algorithm and alleged “fraudulent data extraction.” X categorically denies these allegations.”
The company added that the probe is designed to “restrict free speech”, undermines X’s right to due process and threatens its users’ rights to privacy.
According to X, French authorities requested access to X’s recommendation algorithm and real-time data about all user posts on the platform in order for experts to analyse the data and purportedly “uncover the truth” about the operation of the X platform.
French authorities started an investigation in January over claims that X’s algorithm was being used for foreign interference purposes. The investigation was handed over to a unit of French national police earlier this month, with prosecutors now focusing on looking into offences of tampering with automated data systems and fraudulent extraction of data from these systems.
X said that it is in the dark about the specific allegations being made against it and that it has not acceded to the authorities’ demands.
In the post, X’s global government affairs team blasted the two “experts” who are set to review the company’s algorithm, David Chavalarias, director of the Paris Complex Systems Institute and Maziyar Panahi, an AI platform leader at ISC-PIF.
X said that Chavalarias runs the ‘Escape X’ campaign which was created to encourage X users to leave the platform, while Panahi “has previously participated in research projects with David Chavalarias that demonstrate open hostility towards X.”
“The involvement of these individuals raises serious concerns about the impartiality, fairness, and political motivations of the investigation, to put it charitably. A predetermined outcome is not a fair one”, X said.
The sources: X Global Government Affairs post, FT, CNBC
