Israeli Tech Firm Accused of Targeting John Swinney

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney was allegedly targeted by an Israeli technology firm in what security experts are calling a coordinated digital interference campaign during the election period. Accounts linked to BlackCore, a Tel Aviv-based company specialising in online influence operations, are accused of running systematic attacks against the Scottish leader across multiple social media platforms.

The allegations emerged following a six-month investigation by digital forensics researchers who identified suspicious activity patterns dating back to March 2024. They tracked at least 47 accounts that repeatedly posted negative content about Swinney, often using identical language and posting schedules that suggested automation.

The Digital Campaign

Researchers say the accounts employed sophisticated tactics. They didn’t just spam criticism. Instead, they created what appeared to be genuine Scottish voter profiles, complete with local references and regional dialects. Some posed as disillusioned SNP supporters, others as undecided voters raising concerns about Swinney’s leadership.

The operation’s fingerprints became visible through metadata analysis. Posts were published in clusters between 2am and 4am GMT – prime working hours in Israel. And the accounts shared identical IP address ranges previously associated with BlackCore’s known infrastructure.

BlackCore’s Shadowy Operations

BlackCore has operated in relative obscurity since its founding in 2019, though intelligence sources suggest links to former Israeli military cyber units. The company markets itself as providing ‘narrative management services’ to corporate and political clients worldwide. It’s been previously accused of running influence campaigns in African elections, though the firm has consistently denied wrongdoing.

The company’s website, which went offline last week, claimed it offered ‘strategic communications consulting’. But cybersecurity firms have long suspected it provides more controversial services – the kind that skirt legal boundaries in democratic countries.

Questions Over Attribution

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: ‘We take any allegations of foreign interference in our democratic processes extremely seriously and are working with the relevant authorities to investigate these claims thoroughly.’

Yet proving direct links remains challenging. BlackCore hasn’t responded to requests for comment, and its registered office in Tel Aviv appears to be a virtual address shared by dozens of other companies. The Israeli government hasn’t commented on whether it’s investigating the firm’s activities.

So far, Meta and X have suspended 34 of the identified accounts for violating their policies on coordinated inauthentic behaviour. But experts warn this may represent just a fraction of the network.

The incident raises fresh concerns about the vulnerability of regional elections to foreign interference. With Scotland potentially facing another independence referendum, security officials are now racing to identify what other operations might be active – and who’s paying for them.