Are Russia Bots Fueling Unrest in France?

The Financial Times (FT) reported on Wednesday, Oct. 21, that EU regulators are investigating whether online actors in Russia, Iran, and Algeria sought to use disinformation to influence and exploit the current unrest in France. Citing unnamed European officials, intelligence sources, and researchers, the newspaper said suspicion has fallen on a possible Russian disinformation campaign.

The report echoes much of the findings of an Oct. 18 report issued by the “Disinformation Commission,” an independent watchdog “specializing in information operations, OSINT, and strategic communications.”

Foreign players exploiting “home-grown protest movement”

According to the Disinformation Commission’s report, findings that were also shared with French and European intelligence agencies according to the FT, the unrest in France originally stemmed from domestic dissatisfaction, particularly the Sept. 17 teachers’ strike.

As per the report, there is no evidence that it was instigated, controlled, or directed by foreign states. It does say, however, that there is strong evidence that Russia and Iran, along with foreign far-left and far-right influencers, are actively exploiting and attempting to inflame the protests.

Both the Disinformation Commission report and the FT article say social media has been flooded with videos of rioting and looting that portray France as descending into chaos and on the brink of a civil war.

Other Topics of Interest

Russian Ports Lose Up to 100% of Cargo, Seek Government Bailout After Drone Strikes

Ukraine has stepped up long-range strikes on Russian ports and logistics hubs in an effort to disrupt military operations and reduce the export revenues helping fund Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

Analysis of much of the footage by the disinformation watchdog shows that, at the start, these were often scenes taken from previous instances of public unrest. This included old footage of a 2022 Kurdish protest, 2024 demonstrations in Tbilisi, Georgia, and celebrations following Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory last year, all of which were presented as current rioting in France. The videos garnered several million online views.

As the French protests grew, these “historic” scenes were replaced with fresh footage from the actual rioting that was now taking place in several cities, further inflaming an already spiraling situation.

While the formal EU investigation was described as being at its early stages, others are in no doubt that Russia and, to a lesser extent Iran and Algeria are intent on making the situation worse. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto described the unrest as “a manifestation of a hybrid war being waged against European countries via TikTok, YouTube, and social media.” He also attributed weekend riots in Milan as being exacerbated by the same exploitative methods.

Evidence against Russian bots

According to the Disinformation Commission’s report, Russian “Matryoshka” bots impersonated established news organizations, including AFP, DFW, and Le Monde, to produce almost two dozen fake reports including the deaths of 54 schoolteachers and an attack by Muslim pupils on the Pope. The scheme produced around 20 fabricated news reports in just two days.

The assessment was that: “This is Matryoshka’s usual method: impersonate trusted media, then tag fact-checkers to draw attention.” The group has repeatedly carried out activities aimed at support for Ukraine, but have been accused of carrying out disinformation campaigns in Europe for more than 10 years. This includes the “Star of David” graffiti campaign that beset Paris in 2023 and most recently the attack on Democrats during the US mid-term election campaigns.

Separately, the disinformation watchdog says the Russian Pravda/Portal Kombat propaganda network published more than 20 items across two French-language websites about the Oct. 17 disturbances. The material originated from pro-Kremlin milbloggers, including Rybar, Readovka, and Zakharova, as well as state media and other Russian commentators.

However, the FT cites an unnamed European intelligence official as saying: “It would be too simplistic to say that the Russians are to blame for everything.”

More may come

The rioting and protests began on Oct. 17, when more than half a million people took to the streets to protest rising prices, teacher shortages, and poor school conditions, according to France’s Interior Ministry.

As the protests spread, they became increasingly violent, with clashes between demonstrators and police, widespread looting, and arson attacks in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and other cities. During the unrest in Limoges, the historic City Hall building was destroyed by fire. In response, authorities imposed nighttime curfews in parts of Paris and other cities, while more than 2,400 people were arrested.

According to the FT, the EU’s diplomatic service says that France, after Ukraine, is the second most targeted country in continental Europe when it comes to state-sponsored manipulation of information. The newspaper reported that representatives of digital regulatory authorities from all EU member states met on Tuesday to discuss the situation. More protests are planned for Saturday, Oct. 24.