A bedbug scare in Paris last year that made headlines across the globe was artificially amplified by social media accounts linked to Russian "disinformation" activities, a French minister said on March 1. "The bedbug polemic was in a very large part amplified by accounts linked to the Kremlin," French European Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told TF1 television. After social media users published videos of the insects crawling around on public transportation, officials called on the government to help stamp out the bugs. A deep inspection was carried out, but authorities said there was no trace of any unusual outbreak.
Russian 'Disinformation' Hyped Paris Bedbug Scare, French Deputy Minister Says
A biocide technician removes pillowcases to prevent the alleged spread of bedbugs in an apartment in L'Hay-les-Roses, near Paris, in September 2023.