French MP Wins Legal Case Against Twitter for Identity Disclosure
Christelle d’Intorni of Alpes-Maritimes secures court order for disclosure of user data from Twitter, now rebranded as X
Christelle d’Intorni, a Member of the French Parliament from Alpes-Maritimes, has secured a legal victory against Twitter, now known as X, compelling the social media platform to disclose personal data associated with five accounts she accuses of defaming her.
The Judical Court of Nice ruled in her favor on January 7, 2025.
The case dates back to 2021 during the local departmental election campaign, during which d’Intorni alleges she was targeted by coordinated defamatory posts from the five Twitter accounts.
Despite a request from the public prosecutor for Twitter to reveal the account holders' identities, the platform reportedly refused, prompting d’Intorni to take legal action.
The ruling by the Judicial Court requires Twitter, whose European headquarters is located in Dublin, to be officially notified through translated and certified documents.
Twitter is then obligated to provide the requested information within 30 days, under penalty of a provisional fine of €500 for each day of delay, up to a maximum of 60 days.
While d’Intorni acknowledges that the criminal aspect of the case is time-barred, the action remains significant for her, noting the disparity in compliance compared to other platforms such as Meta’s Facebook and Instagram.
The MP has also proposed legislative steps within the French National Assembly to address online anonymity and extend the statute of limitations for press offenses.
Twitter International Unlimited Company is responsible for overseeing the social media platform X, maintains its European operations from Ireland.
The Judical Court of Nice ruled in her favor on January 7, 2025.
The case dates back to 2021 during the local departmental election campaign, during which d’Intorni alleges she was targeted by coordinated defamatory posts from the five Twitter accounts.
Despite a request from the public prosecutor for Twitter to reveal the account holders' identities, the platform reportedly refused, prompting d’Intorni to take legal action.
The ruling by the Judicial Court requires Twitter, whose European headquarters is located in Dublin, to be officially notified through translated and certified documents.
Twitter is then obligated to provide the requested information within 30 days, under penalty of a provisional fine of €500 for each day of delay, up to a maximum of 60 days.
While d’Intorni acknowledges that the criminal aspect of the case is time-barred, the action remains significant for her, noting the disparity in compliance compared to other platforms such as Meta’s Facebook and Instagram.
The MP has also proposed legislative steps within the French National Assembly to address online anonymity and extend the statute of limitations for press offenses.
Twitter International Unlimited Company is responsible for overseeing the social media platform X, maintains its European operations from Ireland.
