Internal reports link foreign actors to disinformation campaign during French riots

Internal assessments from the European Union and the French Foreign Ministry have revealed that foreign actors sought to exploit civil unrest in France that occurred last October. According to reports reviewed by Reuters, a Russian network identified as “Operation Overload” utilized social media to spread manipulated content and videos impersonating Western media outlets. This network, reportedly active since September 2023, aimed to portray the French government as incapable of maintaining order and blamed the unrest on uncontrolled immigration.

In addition to the Russian campaign, the French Foreign Ministry’s assessment identified similar activities from social media accounts linked to Israeli actors and the United States MAGA movement. These groups promoted narratives that connected the domestic turmoil to radical Islamism and migration concerns. The reports detail that the disinformation included fabricated claims, such as assertions that migrants had assaulted protesters or that imminent terrorist attacks were being planned, intending to shift public opinion toward specific political outcomes.

While European disinformation specialists continue to analyze these operations, the Russian government has not issued a formal response to the findings. Previously, Russian officials, including spokesperson Maria Zakharova, have dismissed similar allegations regarding state-sponsored information manipulation as unfounded.