France Probes Israeli Firm BlackCore Over 3 Election Smear Campaigns Ahead of 2027 Vote
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 13
France Probes Israeli Firm BlackCore Over 3 Election Smear Campaigns Ahead of 2027 Vote
7 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 13
French intelligence agencies are investigating whether BlackCore helped run a foreign interference campaign that targeted three France Unbowed mayoral candidates before March municipal elections.
The alleged operation used fake websites, anonymous social media accounts, QR codes and disparaging ads to accuse candidates of criminal or sexual misconduct; authorities are also trying to identify who commissioned it.
Meta said it removed a coordinated inauthentic network originating in Israel that primarily targeted France, while TikTok removed an account tied to one bogus site and Google also detected parts of the campaign.
The targets were Sebastien Delogu in Marseille, Francois Piquemal in Toulouse and David Guiraud in Roubaix; Delogu filed a defamation suit, and Piquemal is seeking to annul his narrow loss.
The case sharpens concern over digital interference before France's April 2027 presidential election, with France Unbowed holding a 10-15% support base that could still carry it into the runoff.
Who hired an Israeli firm to disrupt French elections, and what was their true motive?
As AI advances, how will it reshape foreign interference in France's 2027 presidential election?
Are shadowy firms the real threat, or are social media algorithms the true weapon in election interference?