French authorities are examining whether a foreign interference campaign aimed at a hard-left party ahead of March's municipal elections was carried out at least in part by an Israeli firm called BlackCore, according to Reuters news agency, which cited three sources familiar with the matter.
French intelligence agencies are now investigating who may have commissioned the alleged BlackCore campaign to smear three France Unbowed candidates in a campaign that included deceptive websites and social media accounts alleging criminal behaviour, as well as disparaging digital ads, sources said.
BlackCore has described itself on its website and LinkedIn page as "an elite influence, cyber, and technology company built for the modern era of information warfare."
It said it provided governments and political campaigns with "cutting-edge strategies, advanced tools, and robust security to shape narratives."
Reuters reviewed BlackCore documents in which the company claimed credit for a separate social media operation carried out on behalf of an African government. The documents were undated but referred to an operation that began in January this year and extended for 14 weeks. An individual provided the documents to Reuters on condition that certain details about them were withheld.
After Reuters asked Facebook owner Meta Platforms about the African operation outlined in the documents, the company said the "network" behind it was tied to the disinformation campaign launched ahead of the French municipal elections. Meta stopped short of identifying a culprit.
Meta told Reuters it had removed a network of accounts and pages for violating its rules against "coordinated inauthentic behaviour." It said the rogue activity originated in Israel and "primarily targeted France."
Two of the sources who had knowledge of BlackCore's alleged French disinformation campaign said they were also aware of the company's work in Africa, without elaborating.
Google and TikTok independently identified aspects of the French disinformation operation while policing their respective networks, according to two other sources. Neither provided further detail.
Smear campaign
The operation targeted Marseille mayoral candidate Sebastien Delogu, Toulouse contender Francois Piquemal and their Roubaix counterpart David Guiraud, according to French authorities and the candidates themselves.
BlackCore's alleged disinformation campaign underlines how fraught even local elections have become as France and other nations struggle with increased political polarisation and threats to democracy.
Polls show France Unbowed - known by its French acronym LFI - divides opinion.
LFI retains a solid 10-15 percent base of support that analysts say could be enough for it to reach the second round of France's next presidential election, due to be held in April 2027.
With polls suggesting the far-right National Rally party is almost certain to make the second round, French centrists fear a potential far-right versus hard-left run-off.
LFI said Viginum alerted it to foreign interference aimed at its candidates, and said it was cooperating with investigators.
"We expect the upcoming (presidential) election to be the scene of attacks of this kind," the party said in a statement.
"Technological developments will probably multiply this risk considerably."
After this story was published, LFI's 2027 presidential candidate, longtime party leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, called on the government to pass tougher legislation against foreign interference.
"We need to be protected, and if we are, all the other (parties) will be too," he said.
Israel's Foreign Ministry told Reuters it was not aware of BlackCore. It did not address the question of whether the French government had been in touch over the election interference allegations.
