BlackCore international influence operations

The Israeli influence-for-hire firm BlackCore has been linked to various international digital manipulation and disinformation campaigns.

Research from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab revealed that between January and April 2026, BlackCore conducted a 14-week program to train Angolan government officials in professionalized state communications. This operation utilized social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, alongside a fictitious media outlet called ‘Agita News,’ to promote positive government narratives through AI-generated content and artificial personas.

Subsequent allegations have expanded the scope of the firm’s activities to include election interference. In Colombia, outgoing President Gustavo Petro accused BlackCore of using a network of 500,000 automated bots to spread fake news to favor far-right candidate Amelardo de la Espriella over leftist candidate Iván Cepeda. Petro also alleged the use of Israeli election software to alter vote counts in approximately 1,350 polling stations. Additionally, investigations in France identified a secret digital sabotage and disinformation campaign, known as ‘Operation Rokh Solis,’ which targeted the ‘La France Insoumise’ (LFI) party during local elections.