Israeli tech firm accused of targeting First Minister in election

Israeli tech firm accused of targeting First Minister in election16 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GooglePA MediaJohn Swinney and the SNP were allegedly targeted by tech firm BlackCoreScotland's first minister was targeted by an Israeli firm spreading online disinformation before the Holyrood election, a French government agency has claimed.John Swinney and the SNP were allegedly targeted in accounts linked to BlackCore – a tech company claiming to "shape narratives" who French authorities accused of trying to smear pro-Palestine election candidates.Disinformation detection service Viginum said hundreds of fake accounts would leave co-ordinated comments on Swinney's social media posts.Swinney had described the conflict in Gaza as a "man-made humanitarian catastrophe" and said a genocide by Israel may be unfolding.The SNP went on to win the Scottish Parliament election on 7 May with 58 seats. Swinney was re-elected as first minister shortly afterwards.The first minister described the Viginum report as "deeply concerning".He said: "It is clear that orchestrated disinformation campaigns and foreign election interference are issues which need to be taken seriously. "Urgent steps need to be taken to counter the threat of foreign online political interference, and ensure that our democratic processes are not undermined. "That begins with the UK Government, which has responsibility for national security, making dealing with hostile state online interference a far higher priority."SNP leader John Swinney re-elected as Scotland’s first ministerScottish election 2026: Results in maps and chartsLast month, news agency Reuters revealed that French authorities suspected BlackCore was behind an online smear campaign targeting three mayoral candidates from the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI) in local elections.Viginum released a detailed report on the firm, stating that it interfered in several countries wit...