French authorities have opened an investigation into the little-known Israeli company BlackCore, which is suspected of involvement in a digital campaign targeting candidates from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party during the March 2026 municipal elections, Reuters reports.
According to investigators, the operation targeted three candidates. Fake blogs accusing them of sexual misconduct appeared online, alongside anonymous social media accounts and coordinated advertising campaigns spreading discrediting material.
Meta linked the network to Israel and removed the associated accounts and infrastructure. One of the candidates withdrew from the race following the campaign, while another narrowly lost in the runoff and is now seeking through the courts to have the election results annulled.
After Reuters sent requests for comment to BlackCore, the company’s website and LinkedIn page became inaccessible. No charges have yet been filed in the case. Israeli authorities said they had no knowledge of BlackCore.