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UK withholds files on Israeli firm accused of meddling in Scottish election, citing national security

MEMO | August 12, 2026

The UK government has refused to release information relating to an Israeli influence firm accused of interfering in Scotland’s parliamentary election, invoking national security and warning that disclosure could damage Britain’s relations with other countries, according to a report by The National.

The Scottish newspaper reported that the Cabinet Office withheld all material requested under Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation concerning BlackCore, an Israeli firm linked by France’s foreign interference watchdog to an alleged digital influence operation targeting Scottish First Minister John Swinney and the Scottish National Party (SNP).

The controversy follows findings by Viginum, France’s service for protection against foreign digital interference, which said in June that it had identified BlackCore-linked operations affecting elections in Scotland, France, New York City, Angola and Togo.

In Scotland, Viginum identified the “mobilisation of at least 256 accounts” which posted around 1,400 comments, primarily targeting Swinney, the SNP and the Scottish Government. Of those, 652 targeted Swinney personally, according to the French investigation.

BlackCore removed its online presence after being publicly identified, while the identity of those behind the alleged campaign has not been established publicly.

Following the revelations, The National reported that it submitted identical FOI requests to the UK and Scottish governments seeking “any correspondence (including emails and letters) mentioning the French government agency Viginum and discussing its findings regarding alleged Israeli-linked influence operations affecting Scotland or Scottish elections”.

The UK government initially delayed its response, telling the newspaper: “We have established that your request engages Section 24 of the [FOI] act, which relates to information that must not to be disclosed in order to safeguard national security.”

The Cabinet Office subsequently refused to release any of the requested information, citing national security as well as the need to protect relations with foreign governments.

According to The National, officials said that withholding the documents was necessary to “avoid giving offence to other nations and retain the trust of our international partners”.

The Cabinet Office stated: “We have weighed these public interests against a very strong public interest in safeguarding national security. It is important that this sensitive information is protected, as disclosure of information would damage national security. This interest could only be overridden in exceptional circumstances.

“Taking into account all the circumstances of this case, we have determined that the balance of the public interest favours withholding this information.”

The refusal leaves unanswered questions over what the UK government knew about the alleged Israeli-linked operation, when it became aware of it and what action officials took before or after the Scottish election.

The Scottish Government also withheld some documents on national security grounds but, unlike Westminster, released other correspondence, according to The National.

Scottish ministers and officials are thought to have  learned about BlackCore through media reports rather than receiving advance warning from the UK government or security agencies.

In one email released under the request, an official wrote: “You might not have seen this (both [REDACTED] and I only had sight this morning) but, given the link to the recent Scottish Elections, I thought it best you were sighted.”

Revealing that details of the influence campaign were passed on to First Minister John Swinney, John Webster, principal private secretary to the first minister, said: “I have shared this with FM – anticipating that he will want to understand more about this report, what we/UKG and security apparatus know/knew about it, and what actions remedial and future / proactive are being taken.”

Other correspondence showed Scotland’s Europe Minister Stephen Gethins requesting a letter to the UK defence secretary concerning “the Israeli tech firm accused of targeting FM”.

One document said: “This is an update on action taken in response to the report by Viginum, the French Disinformation Service.” The substance of that update was redacted on national security grounds.

Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay described the allegations as potentially a serious attack on Scottish democracy.

“These allegations of meddling in elections from BlackCore represent a potentially extremely serious attack on Scotland’s democracy,” Mackay told The National.

“It is also deeply concerning to see reports that the Scottish Government appears to have learned about them through the press, while the UK Government is refusing to disclose what it knew on grounds of national security and international relations.

“The public deserves to know whether warnings were missed before polling day, and what action has been taken since. All governments should do their part to provide clear assurances that Scotland’s democratic processes are being protected.”

August 12, 2026 - Posted by aletho | Civil Liberties, Deception | Israel, Scotland, UK, Zionism