Following high-profile accusations of undue political influence in Brazil and Germany, France has launched a criminal investigation into Elon Musk’s X.
US administrations highlighting the power of tech platforms like Facebook or TikTok to aid and abet foreign political influence is nothing new. Now, France is taking aim at Elon Musk’s X for “organized interference.”
The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal investigation into the platform. In the official filing, X stands accused of the “alteration of the functioning of an automated data processing system by an organized group” as well as the « fraudulent extraction of data from an automated data processing system by an organized group.”
According to French newspaper Le Monde, these are considered “major computer hacking offenses,” which can carry sentences of up to 10 years in prison and a €300,000 (roughly $350,000) fine under French law.
