French prosecutors announced on Friday that they have launched an investigation into allegations of algorithmic bias on Elon Musk's X, a social media platform.
The inquiry comes shortly before the upcoming , where global leaders such as U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and executives from Alphabet and Microsoft are expected to attend.
The Paris prosecutor's office initiated the investigation following a complaint from a lawmaker on January 12, claiming that biased algorithms on X may have disrupted the functioning of an automated data processing system.
Formerly known as Twitter, X, owned by tech mogul Musk, has drawn scrutiny for allegedly promoting right-wing ideologies in various countries, sparking concerns about potential foreign influence.
In response to the probe, X has not issued any comments.
The examination reflects the increasing international apprehension surrounding the influence wielded by X, the rebranded Twitter under Musk's ownership.
French lawmaker Eric Bothorel raised the issue of biased algorithms on X through a post on the platform, prompting an investigation by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office.
According to a statement from the Paris public prosecutor's office to Reuters, "Prosecutors and specialized assistants from the cybercrime unit are analyzing the situation and conducting initial technical assessments."
The J3 unit of the Paris prosecutors' office has a track record of pursuing prominent platform owners. Last year, X Brazil faced penalties for failing to halt the dissemination of misinformation before ultimately complying with a Supreme Court directive for its reinstatement.