A criminal investigation has been initiated by France into Elon Musk’s X, concerning allegations of algorithmic manipulation for purposes of foreign interference. The national gendarmerie will handle the investigation, as announced by the Paris prosecutor’s office in a statement.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau stated that the investigation will examine X as a legal entity, as well as unnamed individuals.

The investigation’s scope includes two potential offenses: “alteration of the operation” and “fraudulent extraction of data” of an automated data processing system, allegedly committed by an organized group, according to Beccuau.

Beccuau added that the decision to launch the investigation followed “verifications, contributions from French researchers, and elements provided by various public institutions>.

In February, the Paris prosecutor’s office launched an initial probe into X following two reports from the cybercrime section regarding the social network’s alleged use of algorithmic manipulation for foreign interference purposes.

These reports were submitted by an unnamed senior official from a French public institution, described by French journalists as a cybersecurity manager, and by a member of parliament, Éric Bothorel.

Bothorel welcomed the news of the investigation moving forward, stating that it “comes at a time when the new Grok update seems to be tipping over to the dark side of the force, with a predominance of questionable, even nauseating, content.”

On July 9, X took its AI chatbot’s automated account offline after it promoted antisemitic narratives on Tuesday afternoon, which was not an isolated incident. The European Commission is in touch with X regarding this matter, but Bothorel’s concern is more comprehensive.

Bothorel stated, “I was convinced that information bias on the X platform, which is particularly strong, was serving Elon Musk’s political opinions and that this could only be achieved through algorithmic manipulation.”

He submitted his report both as an MP and as “a citizen who does not want Moscow, Silicon Valley, or anyone else to distort our democratic conversations.” Bothorel praised the prosecutor’s office, particularly its cyber section, which will likely need to be strengthened as cyber threats continue to increase.

As Paris prosecutor, Beccuau has coordinated prosecutions related to the hacking forum BreachForums and is overseeing the ongoing investigation into Telegram and its CEO Pavel Durov, who was arrested for alleged facilitation of criminal activity on the platform. Although Durov has obtained court approval to leave France for Dubai, the investigation remains ongoing.