NGO: Pro-Russian accounts amplified French anger ahead of mass protests
The NGO Alliance4Europe says pro-Russian networks tried to inflame anger in France before last weekend's mass protests and unrest. Its analysis covered more than half a million social media posts.
The European non-governmental organisation Alliance4Europe reports that pro-Russian networks manipulated information online in an effort to heighten public anger in France ahead of last weekend's massive protests and the unrest that followed. The findings were discussed by the broadcaster France 24 on 21 October.
What the research found
The organisation analysed more than half a million posts across various social media platforms. According to the group, it was able to trace the campaign back to the start of September, which suggests the influence effort began several weeks before the protests peaked.
The research points to an attempt to deepen public discontent rather than to isolated, random posts. However, the source does not specify which accounts or networks were involved, what prompted the protests, or exactly how the messages were amplified.
Interview on France 24
On the channel's programme "A propos", journalist Sharon Gaffney spoke with Omri Preiss, Managing Director of Alliance4Europe. He discussed the analysis the organisation carried out and its results.
The findings matter because they illustrate how online information campaigns can be linked to real-world events, including public mood and street protests. The conclusions reported here are those of the researchers themselves and have not been confirmed by other sources in this material.
