Key facts
- France's disinformation detection service, Viginum, accused Israeli firm BlackCore of election interference in Scotland and New York.
- BlackCore allegedly used hundreds of fake social media accounts to target Scottish First Minister John Swinney and the Scottish National Party.
- The firm's operations also extended to elections in Togo, Angola, and New York.
- Viginum confirmed BlackCore as the suspected perpetrator but could not identify who commissioned the operations.
- BlackCore previously described itself as an 'elite influence, cyber, and technology company' specializing in information warfare.
France's cyber-security agency, Viginum, has accused Israeli firm BlackCore of interfering in elections in Scotland and New York. The firm allegedly used proxy social media accounts to target Scottish First Minister John Swinney, the Scottish National Party, and the Scottish government on multiple occasions.
Viginum chief Marc-Antoine Brillant stated that BlackCore's operations, while primarily focused on French municipal elections, also extended to elections in Togo, Angola, and New York. Brillant confirmed BlackCore as the suspected perpetrator but noted that the sponsors behind these alleged foreign digital interference operations remain unidentified.
The report details a specific campaign targeting Swinney, the SNP, and the Scottish government between January 6 and May 8, involving the coordinated posting of approximately 1,400 comments from at least 256 X accounts. Swinney had previously described the conflict in Gaza as a "man-made humanitarian catastrophe" and stated that a genocide by Israel may be unfolding.
BlackCore, which previously described itself as an "elite influence, cyber and technology company" involved in information warfare, reportedly scrubbed its website after being contacted by Reuters. The Israeli government has indicated it will review the French report before initiating its own investigation.