LinkedIn Revelation
LinkedIn unveiled that Black Cube, a private spy firm from Israel, orchestrated a secret video campaign prior to Hungary’s recent election. Using fake profiles, they engaged Hungarian activists and journalists through deceptive job postings on the platform.
Mona Damian, a researcher from Microsoft-owned LinkedIn, disclosed that Black Cube’s fabricated personas connected with targets, eventually leading to video conversations outside the platform. Clips from these discussions were then manipulated to discredit NGOs in Hungary, forming part of a discrediting campaign.
LinkedIn took action, dismantling the network of fake Black Cube-run accounts and removing the company page for violating their terms of service due to extensive abuse.
Black Cube Assertion
Black Cube, notorious for previous operations linked to Harvey Weinstein, claimed they solely engaged in work related to litigation and “white collar crime,” abiding by legal advice. They asserted no involvement in cyber activities.
Although LinkedIn didn’t specify who Black Cube was working for, this operation began in 2020, targeting at least a dozen critical activists and journalists in Hungary, notably those opposing Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The recorded conversations were later exploited in pro-government media preceding the April 2022 elections, which resulted in a resounding victory for Orban.
Orsolya Jeney, a former director at Amnesty International Hungary and one of the campaign’s targets, highlighted the extensive media coverage of the manipulated footage used for propaganda.
Dalibor Rohac, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and another target, emphasized the campaign’s significance in reflecting the restrictive atmosphere surrounding Hungarian elections. He underlined the contrast between the apparent freedom of these elections and the underlying lack of fairness, indicative of a larger issue within the country.
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