French authorities have launched a preliminary investigation into X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, over alleged data manipulation and fraud. The Paris prosecutor’s office announced on Friday that a specialized unit of the national gendarmerie is handling the case.
The probe focuses on two potential offenses: the organized manipulation of an automated data processing system and the organized fraudulent extraction of data from such a system. While the statement did not provide specific details about the alleged wrongdoing, it confirmed that the investigation targets both the platform itself and unidentified individuals, without clarifying their roles within the company.
The legal action stems from a complaint filed in January by two individuals—a member of the French Parliament and a senior official from a government institution. Neither person has been publicly identified, nor has the name of the institution involved been disclosed.
According to prosecutors, the complainants raised concerns about the suspicious use of X’s algorithm for alleged foreign interference. However, the statement did not elaborate on the nature of that interference or how the platform’s technology might have been used.
The decision to formally open the investigation came this week, following initial checks and the receipt of additional information from French investigators and several public institutions.
