The case against X, the company formerly known as Twitter, investigated by the Paris prosecutor, signals a new stage in the agenda between social media and European enforcers. The investigation currently includes the police and is focused on the suspicions that someone could have interfered with the algorithms created by X to break automated data processing and then withdraw fraudulent data. These are not merely technical issues, but these suspicions go to the very core of information distribution and its consumption in France and possibly Europe as well.
The case itself started with alarming calls raised by a parliamentarian member and a high-level senior official of a French public institution, regarding the risk that the algorithms developed by X might be used to conduct foreign interference.
These fears point to a wider unease regarding the ability of social media to both define political rhetoric and control democratic aspects. Following the acquisition of the platform by Elon Musk, critics have mentioned of shifts in the manner in which content is monetized and moderated, with some asserting that the number of different voices has become more limited and that some forms of content, such as hate speech and disinformation, are being given more prominence.
The impact of this research can already be sensed. It sends a message to technology firms that European governments are ready to take a firm stand when they feel these sites are not operating in the best interest of the people. In case of a misdemeanor, X might be heavily fined and obligated to change its content recommendation algorithms or content moderation policies.
In the future, this case may serve as a precedent in terms of the enforcement of algorithmic transparency and accountability. France can be an example to other countries, which can demand increased regulation of social media algorithms.
To users, it may suggest a more secure and level-playing field on the internet, but it may also transform how platforms operate across the board. The result will likely affect X but also affect how the rest of the industry proceeds with algorithmic governance.
