French intelligence services are actively investigating a suspected foreign digital interference campaign that targeted three La France Insoumise candidates during municipal elections in France last March. This extensive probe follows revelations that a network, previously identified by Meta in connection with a separate operation in Africa, was also responsible for disinformation efforts during the French local elections. Meta stated the network exhibited "comportements inauthentiques coordonnés" (coordinated inauthentic behaviors). The social media giant further indicated that the activity "provenait d’Israël et ciblait principalement la France" (originated from Israel and primarily targeted France). Meanwhile, the private intelligence firm BlackCore has claimed responsibility for a fourteen-week campaign launched in January, asserting it was conducted on behalf of an unnamed African government. French intelligence services are specifically investigating this foreign digital interference campaign that targeted three La France Insoumise candidates during the municipalities of March last year.
Suspect Entity's Profile
An obscure Israeli entity named BlackCore is at the heart of the ongoing suspicions surrounding the digital interference. The company previously presented itself as "an elite company specialized in influence, cyber warfare, and technology in the era of modern information wars." BlackCore also offered governments and political campaigns "sophisticated strategies, advanced tools, and secure solutions to orient narratives." Reuters reported it could neither independently verify the real identity of BlackCore's owners nor locate its headquarters, raising further questions about the company's legitimacy and operations. No corresponding registration for BlackCore was found in Israeli commercial registers, adding to the mystery surrounding its corporate structure. BlackCore's website and LinkedIn profile disappeared shortly after Reuters initially posed questions regarding the entity, further obscuring its digital footprint and operational history.
Campaign Tactics and Targets
The alleged interference campaign reportedly targeted three candidates from La France Insoumise: Sébastien Delogu in Marseille, François Piquemal in Toulouse, and David Guiraud in Roubaix. The operation's modus operandi reportedly involved a combination of deceptive websites, social media accounts accusing the candidates of criminal behavior, and defamatory digital advertisements. These tactics were designed to spread misinformation and negatively impact the candidates' public image.
Sébastien Delogu, one of the targeted candidates, filed a defamation complaint in March against a site operating under the name "Le Blog de Sophie." This website was promoted through QR codes posted throughout Marseille, linking directly to its content and attempting to spread its defamatory claims widely within the city.
François Piquemal, another targeted candidate, filed a police complaint after experiencing attacks from anonymous accounts, various websites, and defamatory advertisements published in La Dépêche du Midi. These concerted efforts aimed to undermine his campaign. Piquemal also submitted a request for the annulment of the election results in Toulouse, citing alleged foreign interference as a significant factor. He stated that such actions are particularly concerning in "la troisième ville de France," emphasizing the importance and prominence of the city in the national political landscape. Viginum, the French state monitoring service, later confirmed that David Guiraud had been targeted by Facebook pages linked to the "même écosystème" (same ecosystem) as the other attacks.
Platform and Official Responses
The French state monitoring service Viginum had reported a limited "foreign digital interference" targeting a French political party and its candidates in Marseille, Toulouse, and Roubaix. This report showed the seriousness of the observed activities. Social media giant Meta removed a set of accounts and pages for violating its rules on "comportements inauthentiques coordonnés" (coordinated inauthentic behaviors), indicating a systematic effort to manipulate public discourse. Meta publicly stated the activity "provenait d’Israël et ciblait principalement la France" (originated from Israel and primarily targeted France), providing a key piece of information regarding the source of the interference. Sources indicated that Meta and Google both detected aspects of the operation during their internal monitoring, noting the scale of the digital campaign. Google, however, did not respond to requests for comment regarding the campaign. TikTok confirmed it had removed an account linked to one of the fake sites used in the campaign, citing violations of its policies against deceptive behavior and demonstrating a multi-platform approach by the perpetrators.
Previous Reporting and Context
Le Monde newspaper had already reported the broad outlines of the operation in March, bringing initial public attention to the suspected interference. Subsequently, Le Canard Enchaîné later reported that authorities suspected an unnamed Israeli company was involved, narrowing down the potential origin of the campaign. These early reports laid the groundwork for the current, more extensive investigation by French intelligence services into the suspected foreign digital interference.