October 24, 2023 at 01:03PM
Canada has warned of a disinformation campaign called “Spamouflage” connected to China. The campaign involved online posts and deepfake videos targeting Canadian lawmakers, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The aim was to discredit the MPs and silence criticism of the Chinese Communist Party. China has denied these allegations. Meta, the tech giant, recently purged thousands of Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to a widespread Chinese spam operation. The network praised China and criticized the United States and Western foreign policies. Other targets included Taiwan, Australia, Britain, Japan, and global Chinese-speaking audiences.
During the meeting, it was discussed that Canada has issued a warning about a disinformation campaign called “Spamouflage” that is linked to China. This campaign involves the use of online posts and manipulated deepfake videos to discredit Canadian lawmakers. The Global Affairs department has identified this campaign and has detected a bot network that has been leaving thousands of messages on the social media accounts of Canadian MPs, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and opposition leader Pierre Poilievre.
This campaign began in early August and escalated in September, with the goal of discrediting the targeted MPs and silencing criticism of the Chinese Communist Party. Tech giant Meta has also reported purging thousands of Facebook and Instagram accounts that were part of a widespread online Chinese spam operation. This operation was active on more than 50 platforms and forums, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X (formerly known as Twitter), and was considered the largest and most prolific covert influence operation in the world.
The spam network primarily posted content praising China, criticizing the United States and Western foreign policies, and targeting journalists and researchers critical of the Chinese government. The campaign also targeted other countries, such as Taiwan, Australia, Britain, Japan, and global Chinese-speaking audiences.
China’s foreign ministry has denied these allegations, stating that Canada is spreading disinformation and confusing public opinion. They urged Canada to respect facts and truth and to stop damaging bilateral relations with its actions and words.
It’s worth noting that the relationship between Canada and China has been strained this year due to accusations of Chinese meddling in Canadian elections and the attempted intimidation of MPs, which resulted in the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat in May.