In a recent revelation, the Canadian government has unveiled a China-linked disinformation campaign described as “spamouflage.” This operation employed a network of newly created and hijacked social media accounts to flood social media feeds, including those of Members of Parliament, with disinformation and propaganda. Notably, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s social media presence was not spared from this assault.
The campaign unfolded over the course of August and September and targeted a diverse array of lawmakers representing various political spectrums, according to a statement from Canada’s foreign ministry. The barrage of messages included allegations of criminal and ethical misconduct against these legislators, the preposterous claim that wildfires in Hawaii were ignited by a covert US military “weather weapon,” and the distribution of deepfake videos.
Thousands of these deceptive comments, often posted in both English and French, appeared on lawmakers’ Facebook and other social media feeds. In response, the Canadian government collaborated with social media platforms to dismantle the bot networks responsible for this orchestrated assault.
The foreign ministry expressed its concern over the potential impact of the campaign, suggesting that it could undermine lawmakers’ ability to perform their duties and discourage them from addressing matters of concern to diaspora communities in Canada.
In response, the Chinese embassy in Canada issued a statement denying any interference in the internal affairs of other countries. They described the accusations as a “blatant smear campaign.”
Relations between China and Canada turned frosty in late 2018 following the detention of a Chinese telecommunications executive by Canadian authorities. In retaliation, Beijing arrested two Canadian nationals on espionage charges. Subsequently, all three individuals have been released.
Ottawa has previously accused Beijing of trying to meddle in its internal affairs through various means, including alleged illegal police stations and the targeting of lawmakers. China, however, has vehemently denied these allegations.
In September, the Trudeau government initiated an independent public inquiry into allegations of foreign meddling by China, Russia, and other nations.
With contributions from Reuters
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