London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

Operation LVMH: How a cybersurveillance firm monitored politicians, union leaders and activists

Operation LVMH: How a cybersurveillance firm monitored politicians, union leaders and activists

Explosion of online data provides private security companies unprecedented access to personal information.

LVMH was under attack.

As the French luxury goods group was gearing up for a general shareholder’s meeting in 2021, a left-wing NGO had launched a campaign denouncing businessmen for making money from the COVID crisis. Among them: LVMH’s billionaire CEO Bernard Arnault, the world’s second richest person.

It was a good opportunity for Altrnativ, a cybersurveillance firm co-founded by the French entrepreneur Eric Leandri, to showcase its capacity in open-source intelligence or OSINT, a form of digital investigation which usually involves compiling and analyzing publicly available information.

Leandri had made his name in France as a champion of online privacy and co-founder of the search engine Qwant, once heralded as the “French Google.” His new company Altrnativ is in an entirely different line of business — investigating the critics, rivals and employees of some of the biggest brands in France.

Together with a partner, Altrnativ monitored the social media activities of French NGO ATTAC and some of its supporters, placing "several activists,” including the left-wing French Member of the European Parliament Manon Aubry, “under surveillance,” according to a report that was part of a trove of internal Altrnativ documents seen by POLITICO. ATTAC had accused LVMH of paying large dividends to its shareholders, even as it took advantage of government measures intended to ease the economic impact of the pandemic.

There's no evidence in the documents that LVMH was involved in commissioning this report, and Leandri described the job in an interview with POLITICO as one in a series of trial runs his company carried out for other private security and crisis management firms.

But together with thousands of other documents, the report opens a window on the rapidly growing cybersurveillance industry, as private security companies take advantage of the proliferation of online data, especially on social media, to investigate their clients’ critics and monitor reputational threats, with little regulatory oversight.

“Over the last fifteen years, there has been a use of data for commercial purposes which has invaded our privacy in a hyper-intrusive way,” said Estelle Massé, an expert in data protection at the digital rights advocacy group Access Now.

Privacy rights, she said, were set up to protect individuals, while requiring transparency from big powers like governments or corporations. "We're in the process of turning this completely upside down,” she said. “Those with the most power now have more rights than ordinary people.”

Told about the report, Aubry, the MEP, said investigations into public figures and activists could have a “chilling effect” on attempts to hold companies to account. "Am I now going to be worried as soon as I pick up my phone? Will I hold back and be afraid before I start a campaign?" she said.


#lvmh


Altrnativ performed the research into LVMH's critics in partnership with AB Global Consulting, a crisis management company set up by a former LVMH employee named Annabelle Bouffay.

A report contained in the internal Altrnativ documents bearing AB Global Consulting's logo analyzed hashtags like #profiteursdelacrise, #lvmh, #bernardarnault and #crisesociale. The report said it had identified several activists, including Aubry, the MEP, and placed them “under surveillance.”

The report's author concluded the risk from the campaign was not yet significant but recommended putting in place a system of real-time alerts to monitor launches of future campaigns against the company. Bouffay told POLITICO she trialed Altrnativ’s services using LVMH as a test case but chose not to work further with them. She said the work wasn’t commissioned by or billed to the luxury brand. Contacted by POLITICO, Leandri said he did not recognize the language used in the report. “I have never used this kind of word,” he said. "We do not put anyone under surveillance.”

In notes from a meeting with Bouffay, Altrnativ’s head of marketing described her as an “associate” of Bernard Squarcini, who has a sulfurous reputation in France. Bouffay said she knew Squarcini from when she worked at LVMH but they were not in business together.

A former head of France’s homeland intelligence services, Squarcini has been accused by prosecutors of spying on a left-wing French journalist on behalf of LVMH. At the time of the alleged spying, his target, François Ruffin, was producing a documentary on Arnault. Ruffin is now an MP with the left-wing France Unbowed party.

In December 2021, LVMH agreed to a €10 million settlement to close a criminal probe into the company. Squarcini remains under investigation, including for influence peddling. Contacted, a representative for Squarcini said there were ongoing appeals and that “the presumption of innocence prevails.”

According to two people who have previously done business with Altrnativ and several former employees, Squarcini was often seen in Altrnativ’s offices. Squarcini representative said the former spy chief met with Leandri on four to five occasions but that the two were “never in a business relationship.”

Martin Bureau


“It was rather a question of enlightening him on the French institutional inner workings, about those in power in different services for which he wanted to be authorized to work, or on the organization of certain African countries where he seemed to want to expand,” the representative said.

LVMH declined to comment.

Aubry, the MEP, said she was not "fundamentally surprised" to see France Unbowed again being the target of a private investigation and said efforts like this would one day have to be addressed by lawmakers.

"These are cowboy methods to me, but France and the European Union are not exactly the Wild West," she said.


‘Under surveillance’


At around the same time Altrnativ was monitoring NGOs criticizing LVMH, the company joined a project looking into union leaders that could become a problem for Lesieur, France’s leading manufacturer of cooking oil and mayonnaise.

The agro-industrial giant planned to merge two factories in Bassens, a town near Bordeaux, and lay off dozens of employees in the process. The job, according to reports produced with the help of Altrnativ, involved “detecting signals of opposition; identifying activist groups (yellow jackets); preventing potential protests.”

For this job, Altrnativ worked with Maegis, a private security company. Charles Pellegrini, a special adviser and shareholder of Maegis, is a friend of Squarcini. He has been charged with "complicity and concealment of breach of trust" in connection to work he allegedly did for LVMH. He denies any wrongdoing.

The reports into Lesieur's potential critics, which bore the Maegis logo, said four members of the left-wing CGT union had been placed “under surveillance.” The report's authors also claimed to be monitoring the social media accounts of the mayor of Bassens, as well as Facebook pages from local yellow jacket protestors and bikers’ clubs.

Max Schrems, a lawyer and Austrian privacy activist said that these types of efforts could sometimes be legal under "legitimate interest” exemptions of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) online privacy laws. "There is a certain room that makes it legal to check who criticizes you for PR reasons,” he said. "But the big question with legitimate interest is how far it goes and if it becomes 24-7 monitoring, then it can be problematic.”

Maegis told POLITICO the job was a one-time only test of Altrnativ's services and that the relationship did not continue after that. Lesieur did not respond to a request for comment.


Unwelcome guest


In addition to the work Altrnativ did for AB Global Consulting, the documents seen by POLITICO show Leandri's firm also worked directly for LVMH. Signed invoices seen by POLITICO show one of the luxury group's subsidiaries paid Altrnativ close to €30,000.

The company monitored media reports for the group's premier fashion brand Louis Vuitton, which was concerned that news of a controversial guest at a company party in Madrid would mar the launch of a new store.

Chief Executive of LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) Bernard Arnault


Louis Vuitton had thrown a swanky party in Madrid’s upscale Galeria Canalejas shopping center, enlisting high-society influencers.

The invite-only event for the Madrid elite had been attended by Lotfi Bel Hadj, a French-Tunisian businessman and one of the most prominent defenders of Tariq Ramadan, a Muslim scholar with family ties to the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood who is awaiting trial for rape.

A person close to Bel Hadj confirmed he was invited every year to Louis Vuitton parties and had attended one in May 2021 in Madrid. The person also denied Bel Hadj had ties with Ramadan or the Muslim Brotherhood.

Altrnativ monitored the web for a month on Louis Vuitton's behalf, looking for any mention of Bel Hadj’s attendance. According to its report, the company found just one article, promoted by one Facebook post and one tweet.

A writer for Fild, a now-defunct online French-language outlet in Barcelona, penned a piece on the ties between Qatar and Louis Vuitton's parent company, LVMH. In the article, now only available in an online archive, the author mentions the soirée and a sensitive guest but does not name Bel Hadj by name.

“The article has had few consequences,” read the report. Things would have been worse, it continued, “if the name of Bel Hadj had gotten out, if the article had got more traction, or if Louis Vuitton hadn't announced a collaboration with Korean pop superstar band BTS the same month.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

London Daily
0:00
0:00
Close
Unelected PM of the UK holds an emergency meeting because a candidate got voted in… which he says is a threat to democracy…
You Are So Beautiful
Rob Schneider explains California reparations legislation.
Postmodern Jukebox European Tour Version
Who knew badminton could get so intense?
An old French tune (by Georges Brassens) Pomplamoose ft. John Schroeder
Farmers break through police barriers in Brussels.
Sattahip Motor Show 20
London's Iconic British Telecom Tower Sold To Become Hotel
SONATE AU CLAIR DE LUNE - Moonlight sonata
Ukraine Arrests Father-Son Duo In Lockbit Cybercrime Bust
A kiss to build a dream on
US Offers $15 Million For Info On Leaders Of Cybercrime Group Lockbit
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Russia Claims UK Cultural Agency Spied for Ukraine
Mean Blues
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
La Chansonnette
Alexei Navalny: UK sanctions Russian prison chiefs after activist's death
Pattaya Addicts
German economy is in 'troubled waters' - ministry
Franz Liszt - Liebestraum - Love Dream
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Dream a little dream of me
New video
Unchained Melody sung like you've NEVER heard!
Tucker Carlson says Boris Johnson wants "a million dollars, in Bitcoin or cash, from Tucker Carlson to talk about Ukraine.
Dave Brubeck - Take Five
Russia is rebuilding capacity to destabilize European countries, new UK report warns
Édith Piaf - Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien (Sofie)
EU Commission wants anti-drone defenses at Brussels HQ
Rondo Alla Turca
Von der Leyen’s 2nd-term pitch: More military might, less climate talk
Kiss of fire
Global Law Enforcement Dismantles Lockbit Ransomware Operation
Tom Jones - I´ll Never Fall In Love Again 1967, 1989, 2001
Prince William Urges End to Gaza Conflict
Israel Cachao López - Guajira Clásica
UK court to hear Assange's final appeal against extradition to the US, where he faces charges related to his journalistic work—the publication of a classified video in 2010 that exposed US war crimes against humanity.
Edward Maya - Stereo Love (feat. Vika Jigulina) (Extended Mix)
About 50-60% kids either chose to be YouTuber or influencer
Strauss - Radetzky March - Karajan
A viral video of Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce lying on a Canberra footpath is celebrated by his media mates.
La vie en rose
European Countries React to Navalny's Death by Summoning Russian Diplomats
The Temptations - My Girl (Smokey Robinson Tribute) 2006 Kennedy Cent
Israel has gone ‘beyond self-defence’ in Gaza, says Labour’s Streeting
Orlando Cachaito Lopez Redencion
English farmers to be offered ‘largest ever’ grant scheme amid food security concerns
Edith Piaf - NON, JE NE REGRETTE RIEN
Cameron government knew Post Office ditched Horizon IT investigation
RADETZKY MARCH-2008-Wien, New Year Concert
EU Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza Conflict
Only you (And you alone)
EU Vows To Hold Putin "Accountable" After Meeting Alexei Navalny's Wife
Strangers In The Night
EU Launches Probe Into TikTok Over Child Protection Under Digital Content Law
Charles Aznavour - La Boheme
The EU Initiates Naval Mission to Defend Red Sea Trade Routes
Summer time
EU and UK Announce Joint Effort on Migration
Sting and Stevie Wonder - Fragile (from Sting's 60th birthday concert)
Brazil's Lula Likens Gaza Operation to Holocaust, Israel Says "Red Line" Crossed
Aux Champs Elysees
Ministers Confirm Proposal to Prohibit Mobile Phone Usage in English Schools
Stand By Me - Ben E. King (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Microsoft-backed OpenAI valued at $80bn after company completes deal
La Mer (Beyond the Sea) – Avalon Jazz Band
‘Alexei would want to tell Russia not to give up fighting’
She
Rwandan Footballer's Dismissal Sparks Concerns Over UK Asylum Plan
Nathalie Song by Enzo Petrachi Stjepan Hauser Cello
Whisky Challenges China's Baijiu Market During New Year Celebrations
Shape of My Heart - Sting (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Avdiivka - Symbol Of Ukrainian Resistance Now In Control Of Russian Troops
Radiohead - Creep
Putin Critic Alexei Navalny's "Killers" Refusing To Hand Over Body, Say Allies
Quizás,Quizás,Quizás - Andrea Bocelli - Jennifer Lopez
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Multi-Couples
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
Pentatonix Havana
20 Tech Giants Sign Effort To Fight AI Election Interference Across Globe
Paula Cole - Autumn Leaves
Joe Biden Accuses Putin of Causing Navalny's Death
Oscar Benton Bensonhurst Blues
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
OH NANANA vs ABUSADAMENTE
Tucker Carlson grocery shopping in Russia. This is so interesting.
Nina Simone - ”I Put A Spell On You”. Vezi aici cum cântă Jeremy Ragsd
Julian Assange's Wife Warns of His Death if Extradited to US
NIGHTWISH - The Phantom Of The Opera
‘A lot higher than we expected’: Russian arms production worries Europe’s war planners
Motorshow 2016 Tanjay Negros Oriental
Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption Rights
Monica Bellucci - Ti Amo
Hungarian Foreign Minister: Europeans will lose Europe, the Union's policy must change drastically
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean Milena The Voice France 2018
In Britain Homeowners are receiving CPO’s (Compulsory Purchase Orders) so their homes can be redistributed to migrants
Michael Buble (Help Me Make It Through The Night) feat Loren Allred
Memories Canon In D - Maroon 5 (Boyce Avenue piano acoustic cover)
Matteo Simoni - Marina
Maroon 5 - One More Night
Maroon 5 - Memories
Mark Knopfler - Brothers In Arms (Berlin 2007 Live)
Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Romeo And Juliet (Real Live Roadrunni
Marina, Marina - The LUCKY DUCKIES intimist live concert at Guimarães
Major Lazer & DJ Snake – Lean On Mauranne The Voice France 2016
Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet - Joslin - Henri Mancini, Nino Rota
LoLa & Hauser - Love Story
Linkin Park Jay-Z - Numb Encore (Live 8 2005)
Hallelujah Mennel Ibtissem, The Voice France Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen - Dance Me to the End of Love
Leonard Cohen & Natasha Rostova - Dance me to the end of love
La casa de papel - Bella Ciao
La Camisa Negra
L'italiano (Toto Cutugno) - The Gypsy Queens
Juanes - La Camisa Negra
Jonathan and Charlotte - Britain's Got Talent 2012 Live Semi Final - U
John Powell - Assassin's Tango
Joe Cocker - You Can Leave Your Hat On (LIVE in Dortmund)
Joe Cocker - Unchain My Heart 2002 Live
Joe Cocker - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Jay Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind LIVE
Jason Mraz - Im Yours (live)
Jarrod Radnich - Bohemian Rhapsody - Virtuosic Piano Solo
James Blunt - You're Beautiful
James Blunt - You're Beautiful & Bonfire Heart (Live at The Nobel Peac)
If You Go Away - Helen Merrill & Stan Getz (Tribute to Virna Lisi)
I'LL BE MISSING YOU
I Say a Little Prayer
Hotel California ( Eagles ) 1994 Live
Historia de un amor - Luz Casal. Vezi interpretarea Biancăi Sumanariu
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover) on Spot
Heart - Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin - Kennedy Center Honors
HAVANA by Camila Cabello Zumba Pre Cooldown TML Crew Kramer Pastra
HAUSER and Señorita - I Will Always Love You
HAUSER - Waka Waka
HAUSER - Sway
HAUSER - Lambada
HAUSER - Historia de un Amor
HAUSER - Despacito
Great Pretender
Georgia May Foote & Giovanni Pernice Samba to 'Volare' - Strictly Come
Gary Moore - Still Got The Blues
GIPSY KINGS VOLARE Penelope Cruz
Fugees - Killing Me Softly With His Song
French Latino - Historia de un Amor
For A Few Dollars More The Danish National Symphony Orchestra (Live)
Flashdance • What a Feeling • Irene Cara
Filip Rudan - “Someone You Loved” Audicija 4 The Voice Hrvatska Sez
Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight
Enya - Only Time
Enrique Iglesias - Bailando (English Version) ft. Sean Paul
Enrique Iglesias - Bailamos
Elena Yerevan Historia de un amor
Ed Sheeran - Shape of You (Official Music Video)
Ed Sheeran - Perfect Symphony [with Andrea Bocelli]
Ed Sheeran - Perfect (Official Music Video)
Easy On Me - Adele (Boyce Avenue 90’s style piano acoustic cover) on S
ERA - Ameno
ELENA YEREVAN- Cancion Del Mariachi-IN STUDIO-2017 DPR
Dust In The Wind - Kansas (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Despacito x Shape Of You - Pentatonix
Deep Purple - Child In Time - Live (1970)
David Foster When A Man Loves A WomanIt's A Mans World (SealMichael Bo
Dance me to the end of Love ( Pi-Air Design )
Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.) [Official Music Video]
Conquest Of Paradise (Vangelis), played on Böhm Emporio organ
Cielito Lindo
Chico & The Gypsies - Bamboleo
Canción Del Mariachi - Antonio Banderas, Los Lobos • Desperado
Camila Cabello - Havana (Audio) ft. Young Thug
Camila Cabello - Havana ( cover by J.Fla )
California Dreamin' - The Mamas & The Papas José Feliciano (Boyce Ave
Buster Benton - Money Is The Name of The Game
Hallelujah Pentatonix
Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy (Official Music Video)
Bob Dylan - Knockin' On Heaven's Door Emilia The Voice Kids France
Besame Mucho - Cesaria Evora
Ben E. King - Stand by Me Sax Cover Alexandra Ilieva Thomann
Bella Ciao
Bella Ciao - INSTRUMENTAL
Beautiful in White x Canon in D (Piano Cover by Riyandi Kusuma)
Bad Romance - Vintage 1920's Gatsby Style Lady Gaga Cover ft. Ariana Savalas & Sarah Reich(1)
BELLA CIAO 2020 - KARAOKE ITALIANO
BAMBOLEO - Gipsy Kings • Antonio Banderas, Katya Virshilas
BAILANDO (original)
Awesome Ukrainian yodeler - SOFIA SHKIDCHENKO (with English subtitles)
Avicii - The Nights
Atom - The Great Gig in the Sky
Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (Official Ly
Antonio Banderas - Cancion del Mariachi (Desperado)
André Rieu - Zorba's Dance (Sirtaki)
André Rieu - Can't Help Falling In Love
André Rieu & Mirusia - Ave Maria
Andrew Reyes Elton John - Don't Let The Sun Go Down The Voice 2020 (
Andreas Kümmert Whiter Shade Of Pale The Voice of Germany 2013 Showd
And I Love You So
All About That Bass - Postmodern Jukebox European Tour Version
Alan Walker - Faded (Piano Cover)
Ain't No Sunshine -- Bill Withers (cover by Canen 12 y.o.)
African music
Adriana Vidović - “Creep” Audicija 4 The Voice Hrvatska Sezona 3
Adriana Vidović - “Believer” Nokaut 3 The Voice Hrvatska Sezona 3
A Fistful of Dollars - The Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Tuva
4 Beautiful Soundtracks Relaxing Piano [10min]
2CELLOS - Whole Lotta Love vs. Beethoven 5th Symphony [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
2CELLOS - Smooth Criminal (Live at Suntory Hall, Tokyo)
2CELLOS - Smells Like Teen Spirit [Live at Sydney Opera House]
2CELLOS - Despacito [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
13 Year Old Girl Playing Il Silenzio (The Silence) - André Rieu
094.All About That Bass
00 - SADNESS PART 1
(Ghost) Riders In the Sky (American Outlaws Live at Nassau Coliseum, 1
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams (Boyce Avenue ft. Conn
What a wonderful world
Moon river
×