The Paris prosecutor's office announced on Friday that the social media platform X is under investigation by French police.
At this stage, X is primarily accused of two offenses -- "impairing the operation of an automated data processing system by an organized group," and "fraudulently extracting data from an automated data processing system by an organized group," Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a press release.
The investigation has been assigned to the Directorate-General of the National Gendarmerie (DGGN), Beccuau added.
In January, the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office received two formal complaints, submitted respectively by a member of the French parliament and a senior official at a French public institution, Beccuau said, adding that both complaints alleged that X's algorithm had been exploited for the purpose of foreign interference.
The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed in February that it was examining these complaints, before announcing on Friday that it had opened the investigation "based on verifications, input from French researchers, and information provided by various public institutions."
Laurent Buanec, CEO of X France, stated on the platform in January that X "has strict, clear, and public rules aimed at protecting the platform from hate speech," adding that it "fights disinformation" and that its algorithm "is designed to avoid recommending hateful content."
According to a report by French newspaper Le Monde, the whistleblower suspects that X has manipulated its content recommendation algorithm to deliberately amplify far-right content and increase the visibility of specific candidates during recent elections in Europe.
The report said that the investigation is focused on two alleged offenses classified under the French Penal Code as serious cybercrimes, each carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of 300,000 euros.
French police launch investigation into social media platform X
French police launch investigation into social media platform X
A cold front has brought snowfall and freezing temperatures across many parts of China, disrupting transportation and prompting emergency responses. On Sunday morning, many places in Handan City of north China's Hebei Province have experienced snowfall.
The province on Sunday activated a Level-IV emergency response for major meteorological disasters in preparation for incoming heavy snowfall.
According to the provincial meteorological observatory, heavy snow is forecast to hit areas including Shijiazhuang, Cangzhou and Hengshui from day to night on Sunday. Some regions may experience blizzard conditions.
Forecasters warn that the severe weather will disrupt transportation, urban services, and greenhouse agriculture.
Local authorities have been urged to closely monitor weather conditions, enhance risk assessment, and eliminate potential safety hazards.
China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe response.
Starting early Sunday morning, a new round of snowfall began in areas such as Qingyang City and Dingxi City in northwest China's Gansu Province.
In order to ensure smooth traffic and people's normal life and production, local departments have made coordinated efforts to clear snow from roads.
Local traffic police have also increased presence at key areas to direct traffic and ensure timely response to emergencies.
In addition, widespread snowfall affected the northern parts of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, posing challenges to urban transportation and railway operations.
Traffic police and city departments are mobilizing to clear roads and ensure safe travel for residents.
Railway authorities also implemented pre-arranged snow-response plans, using equipment such as wind-powered snow blowers and de-icing equipment to clear key sections of track and prevent switches from freezing.
The current round of snowfall in the northern parts of Xinjiang is expected to end on March 2. Some areas in east China's Shandong Province also experienced heavy snow on Sunday. At 11:00, the provincial weather service issued yellow warnings for icy roads.
At the Mount Tai scenic area in Tai'an City, the weather transitioned from a mix of rain and snow to snowfall during the day. As of 15:00 on Sunday, the average precipitation had reached 18.9 millimeters, with the snowfall still ongoing. To ensure the safety of visitors, the scenic area has decided to suspend all access routes starting from 16:00. On Sunday morning, cold air prompted snowfall in many places of north China's Shanxi Province. The Shanxi Provincial Meteorological Observatory issued a yellow alert for blizzard, covering areas such as Jinzhong City, Linfen City, and Yuncheng City.
Icy road conditions led to temporary traffic restrictions on several highway sections.
Local authorities promptly activated emergency response plans, deploying crews for snow removal and traffic control.
Snowfall hits many parts of China, affecting transportation
