France Investigates Alleged BlackCore Disinformation in Municipal Elections

French authorities are investigating whether an Israeli firm called BlackCore took part in an alleged foreign interference effort tied to March’s municipal elections, according to three sources familiar with the matter. French intelligence agencies are examining who may have commissioned the campaign, which the sources said targeted candidates from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party.

The alleged operation used deceptive websites, social media accounts and disparaging digital advertisements, the sources said.

The inquiries focus on at least three mayoral candidates, the sources said: Sébastien Delogu in Marseille, François Piquemal in Toulouse, and David Guiraud in Roubaix. The sources said the online content sought to smear the candidates, including by alleging criminal behavior.

French prosecutors either did not return messages or declined to comment on the alleged activities. Viginum, a disinformation detection service within the French prime minister’s office, also declined to comment, according to the report.

What BlackCore has said about its work

BlackCore described itself on its website and LinkedIn page as an “information warfare” company. It said it provided governments and political campaigns with “cutting-edge strategies, advanced tools, and robust security to shape narratives.”

After inquiries, BlackCore’s website and LinkedIn page were taken offline. The firm did not respond to repeated messages sent via a contact form on its website and its LinkedIn page, according to the report.

The repoSources said it could not independently establish who was behind BlackCore, verify where it was based, or find any reference to the company in Israeli corporate records.

Platform actions and links to other operations

Meta Platforms said it removed a network of accounts and pages for violating its rules against “coordinated inauthentic behavior.” Meta said the activity originated in Israel and primarily targeted France, and it linked that network to the alleged disinformation effort tied to the French municipal elections. Meta did not identify a culprit.

Documents reviewed by the repoSources said BlackCore 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 ran for 14 weeks. Two sources with knowledge of the alleged French campaign said they were also aware of the company’s work in Africa, without elaborating.

Google and TikTok also independently identified aspects of the French disinformation operation while policing their networks, according to additional sources. TikTok said it removed an account identified as promoting one of the bogus sites used in the alleged smear campaign, citing its rules on deceptive behavior.

French authorities have not publicly said whether BlackCore or another actor commissioned the alleged campaign. The investigation is expected to focus on attribution and the methods used online, as platforms continue to enforce policies against coordinated manipulation.