UK withholds information on Israeli firm accused of targeting Scottish first minister in elections

The UK government has declined to release any information on an Israeli firm suspected of interfering in Scotland's parliamentary elections, citing potential damage to diplomatic relations with other nations. This decision comes after the French disinformation watchdog Viginum accused Israeli cyber firm BlackCore of meddling in elections in New York City, Scotland, and France's local elections.

According to Viginum chief Marc-Antoine Brillant, BlackCore was suspected of being used for foreign digital interference operations, including those in Scotland and the 2025 New York municipal election. However, the source of commissioning the operations remains unclear. The National newspaper reported that it submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to both the UK and Scottish governments for disclosure of correspondence relating to Viginum's findings on alleged Israeli-linked influence operations affecting Scotland or Scottish elections.

The UK Cabinet Office responded, stating that releasing such information would compromise national security, with the balance of public interest favoring withholding the information. BlackCore has been linked to interference in US and Scottish elections, as per the French watchdog's report.