Stephen

1/2 Reuters: Russia exploits riots in France to fuel disinformation. But it’s not the only one: MAGA-linked campaigns also garner millions of views. A clandestine Russian network exploited the riots that broke out in France in October to spread disinformation, stoke xenophobic sentiment, and portray the French government as incapable of maintaining order or controlling the country. This is according to an internal European Union report reviewed by Reuters. A second report, prepared by the French Foreign Ministry, also identified campaigns linked to accounts associated with the U.S.-based MAGA ("Make America Great Again") movement—as well as certain Israeli circles that support MAGA—which used the unrest to promote narratives hostile to immigration and Islam. The incident is particularly significant because it demonstrates how an internal crisis can become an opportunity for foreign influence operations—carried out by different actors who nonetheless exploit the same social tensions to pursue their own political and ideological agendas. According to the European report, the Russian network involved is known as "Operation Overload"—a disinformation campaign active since at least September 2023. It has previously been identified for its efforts to target Western institutions, public figures, and media outlets, with the goal of discrediting them and undermining support for Ukraine. During the French riots, the network circulated videos designed to mimic the look and style of major Western news outlets, lending a veneer of credibility to fabricated content. These invented stories included claims of migrants raping protesters and warnings of imminent terrorist attacks. The objective was to fuel fear, exacerbate social divisions, and reinforce the perception of a country spiraling out of control, led by a weak and increasingly authoritarian government. But perhaps the most striking detail concerns the sheer scale to which these narratives were disseminated. According to an assessment by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, between October 16 and 18, the ten most-viewed posts on X regarding the riots reached vastly different numbers depending on their origin: • 49 million views for the ten posts linked to accounts associated with the MAGA movement, including political figures, media outlets, and influencers; • over 35 million views for the ten posts published by various Israeli officials, government accounts, media outlets, and influencers; • 2.8 million views for the ten posts originating from pro-Russian circles. These figures demonstrate how quickly certain narratives can reach a massive audience and show why it is overly simplistic to view disinformation as a phenomenon exclusively linked to Russia. There is another important factor. The French riots were not instigated by foreign powers. The protests stemmed from domestic issues—specifically the rising cost of living and the deterioration of public services—and, in some cities, escalated into particularly severe violence. Reports found no evidence of foreign involvement in organizing or triggering the unrest. Instead, they documented how the situation was subsequently exploited to shape public opinion.