Author: Inès Gentil, EU DisinfoLab
Reviewer(s): Rudy Reichstadt, Conspiracy Watch & Nicolas Hénin
Introduction
France remains a frequent target of disinformation, often tied to global crises associated with the war in Ukraine, climate change, immigration and health-related topics. Additionally, narratives targeting France’s former colonies and overseas territories have intensified, particularly in several African countries and in regions like New Caledonia, where disinformation campaigns seek to exploit historical grievances and encourage anti-French sentiment. These efforts have increasingly involved foreign state-linked actors – including from Azerbaijan, whose influence operations have notably targeted French overseas territories and Corsica – illustrating how geopolitical tensions are shaping information warfare.
Disinformation actors continuously adapt their narratives to exploit public concerns, with a notable rise in AI-driven and deepfake-enhanced campaigns, making detection and countermeasures more complex. VIGINUM, France’s technical and operational agency dedicated to tracking foreign digital interference, has played a key role in identifying and exposing such operations – including Russia-linked manipulations around the Paris Olympics and Azerbaijani-sponsored campaigns designed to undermine France’s territorial integrity. France has also a dense network of fact-checkers and media literacy initiatives, as well as legal frameworks to address disinformation. However, coordination remains a challenge, leading to fragmented responses.
According to the 3rd EEAS Report on FIMI Threats, France emerged as a primary target for hostile actors after Ukraine, with 152 cases identified by the EEAS from the Russian and Chinese FIMI ecosystems. The Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games and the French parliamentary elections were major targets. In addition, a recurring discourse conveyed by these actors portrays the West – in particular France, the United States and Ukraine – as neo-colonial powers that exploit African economies and destabilise regional nations. These messages often build on existing anti-Western sentiment, while positioning Russia as a trustworthy alternative and defender of African interests in the face of perceived Western interference.
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The initial project (V1 of this factsheet) was Funded by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in 2022. Further updates have been funded on EU DisinfoLab’s own resources. If you’re interested in supporting our efforts, get in touch.
The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of EU DisinfoLab. This factsheet does not represent an endorsement by EU DisinfoLab of any organisation.