France accuses Israeli firm BlackCore of election interference in Scotland, New York, and French local elections

France's cybersecurity agency, Viginum, accuses Israeli firm BlackCore of interfering in elections in Scotland, New York, and France, targeting politicians critical of Israeli policy like John Swinney and Zohran Mamdani. The operation allegedly used over 250 social media accounts to post 1,400 comments. France has asked Israel for help identifying BlackCore's unknown clients. The firm, which called itself an "information warfare" company, has since vanished from the web.

BlackCore election interference operations

• ▪France's cybersecurity agency, Viginum, has accused Israeli tech company BlackCore of conducting foreign digital interference operations
• ▪In France, BlackCore is suspected of running an online smear campaign against three mayoral candidates from the pro-Palestine France Unbowed (LFI) party
• ▪BlackCore is suspected of meddling in elections in Scotland, New York City, Angola, and Togo, in addition to its operations in France

Viginum technical investigation findings

• ▪The accounts targeted First Minister John Swinney 652 times, the Scottish National Party (SNP) 338 times, and the Scottish government 112 times
• ▪The campaign against Scottish targets involved approximately 1,400 comments distributed across at least 256 accounts on the social media platform X
• ▪Viginum's head, Marc-Antoine Brillant, stated that while investigations identified BlackCore, the sponsor of the operations remains unknown

French government Israeli cooperation request

• ▪Israel's embassy in Paris stated it is awaiting the French report before deciding on its own investigation and that Israel does not intend to interfere in French politics
• ▪French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that France has asked Israel for an explanation of BlackCore's actions and for help identifying its clients

New York mayoral election targeting

• ▪BlackCore's operations targeted the 2025 municipal election in New York City, which was won by Zohran Mamdani
• ▪Zohran Mamdani's victory was noted for his outspoken support for the Palestinian cause, which reportedly concerned some pro-Israel New Yorkers

Scotland parliamentary election targeting

• ▪The Viginum report alleges a specific campaign targeted John Swinney, the SNP, and the Scottish government between January 6 and May 8
• ▪John Swinney called the report "deeply concerning" and urged the UK government to make countering foreign online interference a higher priority
• ▪John Swinney and the Scottish government have been vocal critics of Israeli government actions and have withheld grants from arms firms supplying the IDF

BlackCore company profile

• ▪Before its website was taken down, BlackCore described itself as an "elite influence, cyber, and technology company" for "information warfare."
• ▪The company claimed to provide governments and political campaigns with strategies and tools to "shape narratives."
• ▪BlackCore scrubbed its online presence after being contacted by Reuters reporters for comment