Allegations of foreign digital meddling in Scotland’s parliamentary elections have sparked a new wave of transparency debate, after the UK government formally declined to release classified records related to an Israeli cybersecurity firm accused of election interference, citing risks to diplomatic relations and national security.
The controversy first emerged in June this year, when France’s leading disinformation monitoring body Viginum publicly named Israeli cyber company BlackCore as a suspect in coordinated digital interference operations targeting multiple elections across the globe. These include France’s own local elections, New York City’s 2025 municipal elections, and the parliamentary elections in Scotland.
Viginum head Marc-Antoine Brillant confirmed that ongoing investigations have linked BlackCore to a pattern of foreign digital interference in sovereign elections across regions ranging from West Africa to North America and Europe. However, the watchdog has so far been unable to identify who commissioned the firm to carry out the alleged operations. Investigators also confirmed that social media accounts tied to BlackCore specifically targeted Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney, the leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP).
Swinney has emerged as one of the most prominent Western political critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, publicly stating in August 2025 that he believes Israel is committing genocide in Palestinian territory. “It’s quite clear that there is a genocide in Palestine – it can’t be disputed,” Swinney said at the time. “I have seen reports of terrible atrocities which have the character of being genocide. I’ve expressed that and obviously it’s not reached all those individuals, but that’s my feeling.”
This week, Scotland-based newspaper The National submitted two separate Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to both the UK national government and the devolved Scottish administration. The requests sought full access to all internal correspondence – including emails and official memos – that referenced Viginum, its findings on BlackCore, and any alleged influence operations targeting Scottish elections.
In its formal response, the UK Cabinet Office stated that it would not disclose any of the requested information, arguing that publication would threaten UK national security. The department outlined that it had conducted a formal balancing test between public interest in transparency and the need to protect sensitive state security information. “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,” the Cabinet Office said in its response. “Taking into account all the circumstances of this case, we have determined that the balance of the public interest favours withholding this information.” The UK government also cited an additional legal exemption for disclosure: that releasing the records could “prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and any other state.”
The devolved Scottish government took a partial approach to the request: it withheld a portion of the requested records on national security grounds, but released a series of unredacted documents that show senior Scottish officials debating how to respond to Viginum’s original report. Among the released materials is a note from the principal private secretary to First Minister Swinney, which reads: “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.”
The refusal to fully disclose information has renewed questions about the UK government’s handling of foreign interference claims, particularly amid already heightened tensions over Scotland’s political relationship with the UK and ongoing global divisions over the Israel-Gaza conflict. The case also underscores growing global concerns about unregulated private cyber firms engaging in foreign electoral interference, with little transparency over their clients or activities.