Hackers hit French blood banks days after attacks on European supermarket freezers, in the latest cyber-attacks on Europe
Hackers raised temperature thresholds at three French blood-bank sites; the EFS says no blood products were lost.
FL Far leftL LeftC CentreR RightFR Far right Bias scale, not party colours
Our outlet list is not evenly split: about 50% left-rated, 15% centre and 35% right-rated, so raw splits lean left by construction. Blindspots are tested against each side's own share. About our sample.
Left 0 · Centre-left 9 · Centre 4 · Centre-right 4 · Right 5
ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage
How each side framed it
Right-leaning outlets
'Russia-linked hackers ‘behind cyberattacks on supermarkets’' (The Times); 'Blood banks hit by cyberattack in France days after European freezer hacks' (CBS News).
Centre outlets
Centre-rated outlets headline it: “French blood banks hit alongside cyberattack on European supermarkets” (Reuters); “French blood banks foil new cyberattack targeting refrigerators” (France 24).
Left-leaning outlets
'French blood banks hacked in latest cyber-attack on Europe' (The Guardian); 'Cyberattack hits French blood banks but no samples compromised, officials say' (Euronews).
Context
The wider geopolitical and historical background, in our words, each point linked to the source it comes from. Background, not a verdict on today's story. How we write it.
Background for this story.
- A cyberattack is an attempt to disrupt, damage or gain access to computer systems. Cyberattack
Checked 2026-11-05. Links were opened and returned a page that day.
Search for more (live results, not checked by us): Wikipedia search · Explainers (Google News search) · Background and history (Google News search)
Sources by lean
Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.
R Right 3
C Centre 3
- Semafor C
Cyberattacks in Europe target supermarkets, blood banks - France 24 C
French blood banks foil new cyberattack targeting refrigerators (paywalled or blocks bots) - Reuters C
French blood banks hit alongside cyberattack on European supermarkets (paywall or login)
L Left 3
Showing 3 from each side of 22 rated outlets (L 9 / C 4 / R 9). More coverage
Video
News reports from outlets with a bias rating, balanced like the articles: the same number from the left, the centre and the right. A side with no matching video is named, never padded. Every video was checked to exist on YouTube on the day; titles are the publishers' own. Links open YouTube; nothing from YouTube loads on this page. How we pick.
Right 0
No right-rated outlet video found for this story. We don't fill the gap with an unrelated video.
Centre 0
No centre-rated outlet video found for this story. We don't fill the gap with an unrelated video.
Left 0
No left-rated outlet video found for this story. We don't fill the gap with an unrelated video.
No rated outlet video found yet.
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Deep dive
The two opposites side by side, seeking to understand rather than judge. These are possible readings of the coverage, built from the articles linked on this page; they are not claims about anyone's motives. How we write it.
Seen from the right
“Blood banks hit by cyberattack in France days after European freezer hacks” CBS News
Seen from the left
“Blood banks targeted in latest European fridge cyberattacks” CNBC
What they agree on
The French Blood Establishment (EFS) said temperature and defrosting thresholds were raised to 'extremely high levels' at three sites on Monday; alarms let technicians intervene and no blood products were lost (Guardian, Daily Mail, BBC News). It follows attacks on supermarket fridges in eight European countries (GB News).
Where they truly differ
Culprit: the Times says Russia-linked hackers are behind the supermarket attacks; the BBC says theories swirl and GB News says the blood-bank group is unidentified. The New York Post headline says blood was heated to 230 degrees; the EFS statement quoted by others does not give that figure.
The paradox
Left and centre outlets lead on 'no blood lost'; right-leaning headlines lead on the threat ('boiling point', 'horror').
Open questions
- What evidence do outlets cite for who is behind the attacks, and what is still unconfirmed?
Follow the money
Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.
Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (22 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| Al Jazeera | Centre-left | Al Jazeera is owned and funded by the state of Qatar. The founder and Chairman of the Board is Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling family, the House of Thani. According to a Fortune article, i n 2016, state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera laid off 500 workers due to Qatar’s financial troubles resulting from low global prices for oil and natural gas. source |
| Associated Press | Centre-left | The Associated Press (AP) is a nonprofit news cooperative with a profit of $1.6 million in 2016. It also sells content to other media organizations. According to an article titled “ AP reports loss on one-time accounting charges,” t he Associated Press lost $74 million in 2017, and it states the reason as “mostly due to one-time accounting charges related to the federal tax overhaul passed late last year.” source |
| Bloomberg | Centre-left | Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP (The parent company of Bloomberg News). According to Investopedia, Bloomberg Terminal (remote software used to access financial information) is the most expensive among financial data providers. source |
| CNBC | Centre-left | CNBC is owned by NBC Universal, which Comcast owns. Comcast’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Brian L. Roberts, founded by his father, Ralph J. source |
| Deutsche Welle | Centre-left | The German government funds Deutsche Welle (DW). They state, “DW is financed via funding from the state – i.e., from tax revenue. This is in contrast to the domestic public channels, which are funded via broadcasting fees.” source |
| Euronews | Centre-left | Euronews is owned by Alpac Capital, a Portugal-based investment fund that acquired an 88% stake in July 2022, with the remaining 12% held by government-supported broadcasters from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Ownership also has business ties with Hungary’s Viktor Orban. source |
| Politico Europe | Centre-left | On 8/26/2021, German publisher Axel Springer purchased Politico and Politico Europe for a reported 1 billion dollars. Axel Springer owns numerous publications, including Bild, Business Insider, and Fakt. source |
| The Guardian | Centre-left | The Guardian and its companion publication, the Sunday newspaper The Observer, are owned by Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). Scott Trust Limited was created in 1936 to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and owns Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). source |
| The Independent | Centre-left | The Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source |
| BBC News | Centre | The BBC operates under a Royal Charter. Oversight is managed by the BBC Board, and regulatory authority rests with Ofcom. source |
| France 24 | Centre | France 24 is owned by France Médias Monde, a state-owned French holding company that supervises and coordinates the activities of the major public media organizations broadcasting or publishing internationally from France. Besides government funding, they also generate revenue through advertising. source |
| Reuters | Centre | In April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source |
| Semafor | Centre | The website was funded with $25 million in private capital. Advertising and sponsorships generate revenue. However, according to CNBC, Semafor will move to a paywall and subscription model within 18 months. source |
| CBS News | Centre-right | CBS News is owned by Paramount Global, which was formerly controlled by National Amusements, Inc., the holding company of the Redstone family. In 2025, Paramount entered into a merger agreement with Skydance Media, effectively ending the Redstones’ majority control. CBS News generates revenue primarily through advertising and affiliate broadcasting fees..push({}); source |
| New York Post | Centre-right | The New York Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, which owns many conservative/sensational media outlets worldwide. The paper is funded through advertising, subscriptions, and newsstand sales. source |
| Newsweek | Centre-right | Newsweek is owned by Newsweek Publishing LLC, which is co-owned by Dev Pragad and Johnathan Davis. Newsweek is funded through a paid subscription and advertising model. source |
| The Times | Centre-right | The Times and Sunday Times is owned by News UK (News Corp UK & Ireland Limited), which American News Corp owns. The owner and Executive Chairman of News Corp are Rupert Murdoch. Revenue is derived from advertising and subscription fees. source |
| Daily Express | Right | The Daily Express is owned by Reach plc (formerly known as Trinity Mirror), a British newspaper, magazine, and digital publisher. Subscriptions, newsstand sales, and advertising generate revenue. source |
| Daily Mail | Right | The Daily Mail is published by Associated Newspapers Limited, part of Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT). DMGT is controlled by the Rothermere family and is 100% owned by Rothermere Continuation Limited. Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere, serves as Chairman..push({}); DMGT became privately owned after delisting from the London Stock Exchange in 2022. source |
| GB News | Right | GB News lacks transparency as they do not disclose ownership. A search reveals that London-based ALL Perspectives Ltd owns GB News. According to Reuters, the television channel “secured millions of dollars from investors such as Discovery Inc, Legatum and hedge fund manager Paul Marshall. source |
| The Sun | Right | The Sun is published by the News Group Newspapers division of News UK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The paper generates revenue through advertising, newsstand sales, and subscriptions. source |
| The Telegraph | Right | Telegraph Media Group (TMG) owns The Telegraph, which is owned by Press Acquisitions Ltd., which in turn is owned by Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay. In 2004, Twin Brothers Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay acquired the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph from the Canadian media company Hollinger Inc. for £665 million. For a complete list of Board members, see here. source |