Unrest across cities in France, Italy, Belgium and Spain has exposed a divide between political accusations of foreign interference and the evidence available to authorities. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto characterised the Milan riots as a form of hybrid warfare conducted through platforms including TikTok and YouTube. French President Emmanuel Macron, however, distinguished between interference in the events themselves, for which he said there was no evidence, and subsequent manipulation of information. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot separately accused actors linked to Russia, China, Iran and the MAGA community of exploiting student protests through hostile narratives.
Despite pressure from national regulators to launch a formal investigation, the European Commission maintains that the evidence is insufficient. It has offered assistance while allowing national authorities to pursue their work. Regulators, including France’s Arcom and Italy’s AGCOM, already have substantial powers under the Digital Services Act to address potential disinformation operations. The legislation also provides a crisis-response mechanism granting the Commission emergency powers over online platforms when public security or health faces a serious threat. That mechanism has not been activated.
Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies have requested platform information to identify suspects involved in vandalism and looting. Attempts to sell stolen goods through Vinted in France prompted police requests for assistance; the company says it is cooperating. Russia-linked networks, including Operation Overload and Doppelgänger, have demonstrably exploited the violence to amplify disinformation campaigns. Such activity, however, does not establish that foreign actors instigated the unrest.
