If you have any doubt that the European Union is devolving into a soft totalitarian state, think again.
I have been sounding the alarm bells about the developments in Europe for as long as I have been writing at Hot Air, and some of you may have thought me an alarmist engaged in hyperbole. I am alarmed, of course, but by real threats to freedom.
The latest assault on freedom–not just in Europe, because the EU and Great Britain are using their criminal and regulatory powers to suppress speech in the US as well as other countries–comes with the breaking news that the French authorities are classifying Elon Musk’s X platform as an ‘organized crime group’ and is vigorously investigating the company (and presumably its management and owners) in a criminal case.
As part of a criminal investigation, an activist French prosecutor is requesting information on X’s proprietary algorithm and has classified X as an “organized crime group.” Democratic governments should allow all voices to be heard, not silence speech they dislike. The United… https://t.co/LN6sFAYSQh
— Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, & Labor (DRL) (@StateDRL) July 25, 2025
I learned of this development from, of all places, the US State Department, which blasted France for its abuse of prosecutorial power to censor speech.
As part of a criminal investigation, an activist French prosecutor is requesting information on X’s proprietary algorithm and has classified X as an “organized crime group.” Democratic governments should allow all voices to be heard, not silence speech they dislike. The United States will defend the free speech of all Americans against acts of foreign censorship.
Apparently, this all began earlier in July, when the prosecutor opened an investigation at the request of a French MP. I hadn’t seen much reporting about this, despite the fact that it should have been big news. But adding the designation “organized crime group” moves things up a notch or 10.
US officials issued a harsh condemnation Friday of France’s criminal investigation into the social network X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, on suspicion of foreign interference.
“As part of a criminal investigation, an activist French prosecutor is requesting information on X’s proprietary algorithm and has classified X as an ‘organized crime group,’” the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor wrote on their X account.
“Democratic governments should allow all voices to be heard, not silence speech they dislike. The United States will defend the free speech of all Americans against acts of foreign censorship.”
Paris cybercrime prosecutors called for the police probe July 11 to investigate suspected crimes—including manipulating and extracting data from automated systems “as part of a criminal gang.”
The social media company last week denied the allegations, calling them “politically motivated.”
X also said it had refused to comply with the prosecutor’s request to access its recommendation algorithm and real-time data.
The investigation follows two January complaints that alleged the X algorithm had been used for foreign interference in French politics.
One of the complaints came from Eric Bothorel, an MP from President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, who complained of “reduced diversity of voices and options” and Musk’s “personal interventions” in the platform’s management since he took it over.
X said it “categorically denies” all allegations and that the probe “is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech.”
The motivation is obvious: Elon Musk is playing in European politics, supporting conservative candidates, and the failing political leaders fear–rightly–that they will lose power. Things are not going well in Europe, with a huge migration problem, sexual violence against women spiking, an increase in organized crime, and stagnant economies.
The EU has been trying to use its Digital Services Act to suppress speech both in Europe and the United States. As you may recall, Thierry Breton threatened Elon Musk with massive fines for hosting a conversation with Donald Trump during the campaign.
Defend X.Twitter. US condemns French inquiry into Musk’s social media platform X
See: https://t.co/VKFsiSDQicUS officials condemned France’s criminal investigation into the social network X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, after Paris cybercrime prosecutors said they were… pic.twitter.com/7qt2kpEDGi
— Arts, Politics & Culture (@rosewdc) July 26, 2025
In other words, the European Union was meddling in the US election using its regulatory apparatus. At the time, I called it a casus belli. Great Britain, you may recall, sent 100 Labour Party staffers to campaign for Kamala Harris.
I’m pretty certain that this goes far beyond anything the Democrats accused Russia of doing. They actually colluded–and part of “they,” in this case, was the Biden administration, which was collaborating with the EU to censor Americans–to swing the election to Harris.
European governments are systematically undermining freedom in their own countries and elsewhere. We should, at minimum, sanction them.
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