Elon Musk’s social network X said on 21 July it will not comply with a French judicial order seeking access to the platform’s recommendation algorithm and real-time data on every user post. In a statement, the company called the Paris prosecutors’ probe “politically motivated” and claimed it distorts French law to curb free speech. The investigation, opened earlier this month after complaints from lawmaker Eric Bothorel, is examining whether X manipulated its algorithm to amplify far-right content and whether it illegally extracted data. Prosecutors have classified the case under organised-crime statutes that allow wider investigative powers, including potential wiretaps, and cited possible charges of tampering with an automated data-processing system and fraudulent data extraction—offences that each carry penalties of up to ten years’ imprisonment. Prosecutors confirmed to BFMTV that they issued a judicial requisition for the algorithm but denied requesting personal user information. X, which is headquartered in Ireland, argues it has no legal obligation to hand over the code and questions the neutrality of two external researchers named to analyse the data. The confrontation adds to regulatory pressure on the platform, which is already under separate scrutiny in the European Union for compliance with the Digital Services Act.