The investigation by Viginum, the organization fighting foreign digital interference, was carried out against a backdrop of diplomatic tensions between Paris and Baku. Published on 13/11/2023 20:12, updated on 13/11/2023 20:51 with a reading time of 1 minute. More than 1,600 negative publications in 24 hours. A report from Viginum, the organization fighting foreign digital interference, accused actors linked to Azerbaijan of conducting a campaign of manipulation against France. The process has damaged France’s reputation to host the 2024 Olympic Games. The investigation began on July 26 when several visuals calling for a boycott of the 2024 Olympics were massively shared on X (formerly Twitter). The investigation took place amidst diplomatic tensions between Paris and Baku. Against a backdrop of diplomatic tensions, France has been involved in mediating between Azerbaijan and Armenia, two former Soviet republics in conflict for thirty years. France has also demonstrated its support for Armenia, which fears Azerbaijan’s violation of its territorial integrity, a stance that has earned harsh criticism from the Azerbaijani president, Ilham Aliev. “These publications featuring images of riots or the city of Paris also included the Olympics logo, three official X accounts of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and two hashtags, #PARIS2024 and #BOYCOTTPARIS2024,” detailed Viginum in its report. On July 26 and 27, more than 1,600 publications accompanied by these visuals or hashtags were published on the platform. Around 91 accounts seem to be behind these publications, “suggesting artificial amplification,” according to Viginum. Some show “unauthentic characteristics in terms of activity and profile criteria.” Viginum has determined that 40 of them were created in July 2023 and have published “solely content calling for a boycott” of the Games.
