Russia spread bedbug panic in France, intelligence services suspect
archive.today link for those hit by a paywall: https://archive.is/9YZ30
French intelligence is “taking seriously” the idea that Russia has fanned panic over its bedbug outbreak.
Reported outbreaks of bedbugs infesting homes and migrating to metros and cinemas have caused hysteria in France.
Algeria even announced in early October that it would introduce “preventative measures” to ward off the spread of bedbugs to their country from France on planes and ships.
A test tube full of bed bugs was even brought into the French parliament by an MP raising concern about the “wave of panic that has seized the country”.
The government staged an emergency meeting earlier this month and Clément Beaune, the transport minister, pledged to send sniffer dogs into trains to check for their presence.
While experts say global warming and the revival of international travel and tourism in the wake of Covid lockdowns has caused an uptick in the bloodsucking insects, others suggest the current national debate is disproportionate and the outbreak is not significant.
Against this backdrop, French intelligence agents cited by RMC radio say they strongly suspect Russia of seeking to amplify fears by spreading so-called “doppelgänger” articles on social media that appear to come from respected French news outlets but are faked.
Pouring gas on every spark of unrest is too easy nowadays. People believe any random social media post as truth and reject professional news.
The cost and resources to troll social media is next to nothing. You don't need to be a nation state.
I am sure that every country or group who wants to see unrest in western countries is in on this.
Russia is all about causing as much chaos as possible to take the heat off their backs, just like all the Russian agents in the US gov rn
There is an actual bedbug epidemic in Paris right now. Let's not give credit to Russia for spreading facts.
These aren't mutually exclusive. It can both be true, and Russia could have intentionally boosted the story on social media in order to cause greater general distress.
Yeah, Russia boosts every story that makes anyone they don't like look bad. Every country does that in one way or another.
Not really. Sure there's bedbugs, but there's no evidence that there are more bedbugs now than there were say a year ago that I'm aware of. If you start looking for the little fuckers you're going to find them of course, but that goes for just about every city.
You did not read the article
The most interesting thing is that dogs are fucking amazing at finding everything by sniffing.
I wonder if they have an idea to spread bedbugs. Would that count as biological warfare?
Another ridiculous theory is that Trump spread bedbugs to France to interfere in their elections.
I mean russia could just be testing their online psyops. It’s already terrifying what they did with our 2016 election. Maybe the bedbugs thing is just a trial run before their next big campaign. It’s always disquieting to consider what havoc this kind of manipulation could wreak globally.
Or you know.... Parisian have the hygiene of unwashed hobos.
If you knew just a little about bedbugs you'd know getting them has nothing to do with hygiene.