World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Accounts linked to Russia, MAGA, and Israel tried to exploit the riots in France to discredit the French authorities, EU says
An EU assessment found that accounts linked to Russia, the MAGA movement and Israel used unrest in France to spread hostile claims and undermine confidence in French authorities. It found no evidence that Moscow or anyone else had instigated or escalated the protests.
Russian network Matryoshka posed as Western media and circulated false claims about planned terrorist attacks and migrants raping protesters. The French Foreign Ministry said the 10 most-viewed posts from pro-Russian accounts gained 2.8 million views from 16 to 18 October, while the top MAGA-linked posts received more than 49 million views and similar posts by Israeli officials, agencies and bloggers reached 35 million. Protests began in late September over education cuts and the rising cost of living, and have often involved clashes with police.
In short
- EU found no evidence that outside actors instigated France’s unrest.
- Pro-Russian posts gained 2.8 million views in three days.
- MAGA-linked posts reached over 49 million views.