# Incident I00004: #Macrongate

* **Summary:** amplified document dump failed because France was prepared for it.

* **incident type**: incident

* **Year started:** 2017

* **Countries:** Russia , France

* **Found via:** 

* **Date added:** 2019-02-24
 

| Technique | Description given for this incident |
| --------- | ------------------------- |


DO NOT EDIT ABOVE THIS LINE - PLEASE ADD NOTES BELOW

Actor: IRA

Timeframe: 1 day (plus preparation)

Date: May 2017

Presumed goals: reduce Emmanuel Macron’s chance of winning French presidential election

Method:

* fake documents posted on 4chan about Macron’s alleged offshore account, 
* amplified by pro-Trump Twitter accounts using #MacronGate and #MacronCacheCash

Counters: 

* preparation (resilience, account removals), 
* honeytraps, 
* counter-response with humour.

Related incidents:

* DNC document release, US presidential elections, 2016


References:

* Source: https://www.patreon.com/posts/macrongate-tied-11940855 
* http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/09/how-france-beat-back-information-manipulation-and-how-other-democracies-might-do-the-same/
* https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/08/macron-hackers-linked-to-russian-affiliated-group-behind-us-attack