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Cyberattack pushes refrigerators at hundreds of French supermarkets to high temperatures

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 22 outlets across the spectrum.

33 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Shopper beside supermarket freezer cabinets with empty shelves and price tags, one woman walking past.
Image via Washington ExaminerHow images are chosenReport this image

Hackers remotely overrode temperature settings on refrigeration and freezer systems at hundreds of French supermarkets overnight from Sunday to Monday. Two retailers, Intermarché and Coopérative U, said their stores were hit, and the attack pushed some units to about 50C. Spoiled food was thrown away, and in some stores the heat sparked fires. Estimates of the losses run to millions of euros. Accounts differ on the number of stores affected: the two retailers gave figures for their own chains, while The New York Times reported at least 380 supermarkets. The attackers have not been identified.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Hackers remotely altered temperature settings on refrigeration systems at hundreds of French supermarkets overnight from Sunday to Monday.

    Across the spectrumReported byLeft4Center4Right2Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    CBS News, Al Jazeera English, The New York Times, The Guardian
    Center
    France 24, BBC News, Sky News, Deutsche Welle
    Right
    Washington Examiner, New York Post
    Far Right
    The Daily Wire, Fox News

  2. Some refrigerators and freezers were driven to about 50C, spoiling food, and in some stores the heat caused fires.

    Reported byLeft3Center1Right1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    CBS News, Al Jazeera English, The Guardian
    Center
    Sky News
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    The Daily Wire

  3. Losses from spoiled food are estimated at millions of euros.

    Reported byCenter1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    BBC News
    Far Right
    Fox News

  4. The two retailers Intermarché and Coopérative U gave figures of 150 to 200 and almost 100 affected stores respectively.

    One outletFrance 24· Center

  5. The attack targeted refrigeration control systems made by Danfoss, or a Danish software system, according to outlets reporting on the equipment.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times
    Far Right
    The Daily Wire, Fox News

  6. The attackers have not been identified.

    One side only: the leftReported byLeft2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times, The Guardian

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • Number of supermarkets affected by the attack.

    The two retailers gave figures of 150 to 200 Intermarché stores and almost 100 Coopérative U stores; The New York Times reported at least 380 supermarkets.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that hackers overnight raised refrigerator temperatures at hundreds of French supermarkets, spoiling food and in some stores causing fires. Left and center outlets stress the attack’s unprecedented scale, and the left also asks who is responsible; right-leaning outlets focus on fires and losses.

  • the left

    6 outlets

    Headlines lead with the scale and the unprecedented nature of the attack; the Guardian feature asks who is behind it, while the New York Times headline is the plainest.

    Cyberattack Hits Hundreds of Supermarket Refrigeration Systems in France
    The New York TimesLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    9 outlets

    Headlines lead with temperatures of about 50C and the effect on stores, quoting ‘unprecedented’ or ‘large-scale’ from reports or officials.

    French supermarket fridges heated to 50C in 'unprecedented' cyber attack
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    7 outlets · 1 opinion

    Headlines name hackers as the actors and lead with overheating and fires; the Daily Wire goes furthest with ‘Ablaze’, and Fox leads on financial losses.

    Hackers target refrigerators at French supermarkets, overheating them and causing fires
    Washington ExaminerRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left4

    shelves empty across FranceFrench fridge frightmany are worriedwas heartbreaking

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right3

    This is terrorism, full stopdon't have the spine to classify it as suchAblaze

In the outlets’ own words

  • Absolutist framing

    shelves empty across FranceMore neutral: has affected stores at several supermarket chains

    The excerpt states as fact that shelves are empty across France, while the other coverage reports disruption at affected stores in several chains.

    A cyberattack targeting supermarket refrigeration systems has left shelves empty across France.

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

  • Sensational language

    French fridge frightMore neutral: Cyberattacks on French supermarket refrigerators

    The wordplay adds drama to a news report about a cyberattack on refrigerators.

    French fridge fright: Why supermarkets have become target for hackers

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

  • Absolutist framing

    This is terrorism, full stopMore neutral: This commentary calls the attack terrorism; the coverage reports no official classification

    Presents a contested classification of the attack as settled, when the coverage reports no official classification as terrorism.

    This is terrorism, full stop, even if French authorities don't have the spine to classify it as such.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Delegitimizing label

    don't have the spine to classify it as suchMore neutral: French authorities have not classified it as terrorism

    Accuses the authorities of cowardice rather than reporting how they describe the attack.

    This is terrorism, full stop, even if French authorities don't have the spine to classify it as such.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

Show 3 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    AblazeMore neutral: Hackers cause fires at several grocery stores

    Reports describe small fires at several stores, not stores set ablaze, so the headline overstates what was reported.

    Hackers Set Grocery Stores Ablaze With Remote Freezer Attacks

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

  • Vague attribution

    many are worriedMore neutral: Name who has raised the concern, or present the risk as an open question for experts.

    The sentence attributes a concern to unnamed people without saying who holds it.

    Now, many are worried about how vulnerable these systems could be in any country.

    Used byNBC News (Left)

  • Sensational language

    was heartbreakingMore neutral: The loss of the food was costly for the store.

    The emotional adjective adds a feeling to the headline that the reported facts do not require.

    Losing $112,000 in food was heartbreaking.

    Used byBusiness Insider (Left)

Words quoted from someone else (1)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    weaponization of foodMore neutral: food being targeted by the attack

    The phrase suggests deliberate use of food as a weapon, which the reported facts do not establish.

    “The weaponization of food has become a reality,” the EU commissioner for agriculture said.

    Quoted bySemafor (Center)

    These are the EU commissioner for agriculture’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

6 outlets

Leads with

  • unprecedented scale of the attack
  • spoiled food and fires
  • unidentified attackers
See the 7 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

9 outlets

Leads with

  • temperatures of about 50C
  • hundreds of stores affected
  • unprecedented and large-scale attack
See the 9 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

7 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • hackers as the actors
  • overheating and fires
  • financial losses
See the 8 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Washington TimesRight

    5 questions about the cyberattack on European supermarkets

    Hackers remotely took control of refrigeration systems in hundreds of French supermarkets, driving temperatures to 50 degrees Celsius and spoiling food, while a Dutch grocery giant also shut down systems after a cybersecurity incident.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
  • Breitbart NewsFar Right

    Cyberattack Heated Fridges Up to 122 Degrees at Supermarkets Across France

    A cyberattack has disrupted refrigeration, delivery and pricing systems at supermarket chains across France, Belgium and the Netherlands, impacting at least 700 stores so far. The hack caused fridges to heat up to 122 degrees (50 degrees Celsius).

    Read at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)
  • PJ MediaFar Right

    Hundreds of French Supermarket Freezers Hit by Cyber Attack

    Hackers turned up the heat in more than 300 supermarket freezers and refrigerators, destroying up to $11.2 million in temperature-sensitive products.

    Read at PJ Media (opens in a new tab)
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    French supermarkets face millions in losses after cyberattack hits refrigerators nationwide

    Hackers targeted Danfoss refrigerator controls across French supermarkets, forcing chains like Carrefour and Monoprix to discard massive food stocks.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily WireFar Right

    Hackers Set Grocery Stores Sensational language“Ablaze”Reports describe small fires at several stores, not stores set ablaze, so the headline overstates what was reported.More neutral: Hackers cause fires at several grocery storesDisagree with this highlight? With Remote Freezer Attacks

    Hackers took control of refrigeration systems at hundreds of French grocery stores Sunday night, cranking the heat up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, spoiling food, and reportedly sparking fires at several stores. …

    Read at The Daily Wire (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRightReuters report

    Hackers heat French supermarket fridges, sparking fires and spoiling food

    The Paris prosecutor's office said that a "large-scale" attack was "affecting connected refrigerators in several major food retailers across France," leading to food losses and fires.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    Hackers target refrigerators at French supermarkets, overheating them and causing fires

    Refrigerators in French supermarkets are being targeted by remote hackers, who are dialing up their temperature to more than 120 degrees. Paris authorities reported Monday that a large-scale cyber-attack is affecting connected refrigerators ⁠in several major food retailers …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)
  • TownhallFar RightOpinion

    Hackers Attacked French Stores' Refrigeration Systems, Causing Mass Spoilage of Food

    Maybe it's not a good idea to connect everything to the Internet. It opens up vital systems to hackers, threats from power losses, and even EMP weapons or solar flares. It's also a new target for terrorists who are using and abusing technology to harm innocent people.

    Read at Townhall (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    3 hr 31 min later

    Its first report, Oct 12, 11:24 AM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    France 24, Oct 12, 7:53 AM EDT

  • Right

    6 hr 27 min later

    Its first report, Oct 12, 2:20 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. France 24CenterOct 12, 7:53 AM EDT
  2. BBC NewsCenterOct 12, 10:30 AM EDT
  3. The GuardianLeftOct 12, 11:24 AM EDT
  4. Sky NewsCenterOct 12, 11:56 AM EDT
  5. CBS NewsLeftOct 12, 1:45 PM EDT
  6. Deutsche WelleCenterOct 12, 2:15 PM EDT
  7. Washington ExaminerRightOct 12, 2:20 PM EDT
  8. SemaforCenterOct 12, 6:26 PM EDT
  9. New York PostRightOct 12, 6:56 PM EDT
  10. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 12, 10:37 PM EDT
  11. CNBCCenterOct 13, 2:44 AM EDT
  12. Financial TimesCenterOct 13, 4:29 AM EDT
  13. The New York TimesLeftOct 13, 6:52 AM EDT
  14. Straight Arrow NewsCenterOct 13, 11:27 AM EDT
  15. The Daily WireFar RightOct 13, 12:55 PM EDT
  16. Fox NewsFar RightOct 13, 1:54 PM EDT
  17. PBS NewsHourCenterOct 13, 2:08 PM EDT
  18. PJ MediaFar RightOct 13, 3:11 PM EDT
  19. NBC NewsLeftOct 14, 8:23 AM EDT
  20. Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 14, 1:01 PM EDT
  21. Business InsiderLeftOct 15, 1:00 PM EDT
  22. The Washington TimesRightOct 15, 2:53 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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