Scottish media accept that Israeli interference against the SNP may be true and accurate in 2026 while that from Russia on referendum irregularities in 2014 was clearly ‘fake and ‘inaccurate’

Covered fairly widely in the Scottish MSM and by BBC Scotland last week:

Scotland’s first minister was targeted by an Israeli firm spreading online disinformation before the Holyrood election, a French government agency has claimed. John Swinney and the SNP were allegedly targeted in accounts linked to BlackCore – a tech company claiming to “shape narratives” who French authorities accused of trying to smear pro-Palestine election candidates.

Disinformation detection service Viginum said hundreds of fake accounts would leave co-ordinated comments on Swinney’s social media posts.Swinney had described the conflict in Gaza as a “man-made humanitarian catastrophe” and said a genocide by Israel may be unfolding.

The SNP went on to win the Scottish Parliament election on 7 May with 58 seats. Swinney was re-elected as first minister shortly afterwards.The first minister described the Viginum report as “deeply concerning”.

He said: “It is clear that orchestrated disinformation campaigns and foreign election interference are issues which need to be taken seriously.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c77yje7n287o

Scotland’s media covered the French reporting with no comment on the veracity of the reporting nor, if it was true, indignation about such interference against the SNP or independence movement.

In December 2017, the Guardian had reports of an opposite tendency from Russia, supporting Scottish independence:

An expert in Russian cyber-operations has accused Russian activists of running a disinformation campaign to discredit the Scottish independence referendum result, by wrongly alleging it was rigged.

Pro-Russian propagandists used Twitter, fake videos on YouTube and Facebook accounts to make and then spread false allegations that votes were interfered with to ensure victory for pro-UK campaigners, according to Ben Nimmo, an analyst for the US thinktank the Atlantic Council, which is part of the Atlantic Treaty Organisation linked to Nato.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/dec/13/russian-cyber-activists-tried-to-discredit-scottish-independence-vote-says-analyst

In sharp contrast with their lack of opinion, of concern, at the Israeli undermining of the SNP, they had been quick to attack the Russian ‘internet trolls‘. In the Herald:

‘Experts?’ Not named.

‘Fake’, ‘inaccurate?’ Only the pro-independence messages are described as such. By implication, uncontested, the Israeli comment can be true, accurate.


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