Canada says China-linked 'Spamouflage' campaign targeted PM Trudeau

The Canadian government said on Monday (Oct 23) it detected a China-linked "Spamouflage" campaign that involved bots posting disinformation and propaganda on the social media accounts of members of parliament, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The Canadian government said on Monday (Oct 23) it detected a China-linked "Spamouflage" campaign that involved bots posting disinformation and propaganda on the social media accounts of members of parliament, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The Spamouflage campaign, using networks of new and hijacked social media accounts to post bulk messages, took place in August and September, and targeted dozens of MPs from across the political spectrum, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The messages included accusations against the MPs of criminal and ethical violations, a claim that Hawaiian wildfires were caused by a secret United States military "weather weapon", and deepfake videos.

Thousands of such comments in English and French were posted on MPs' Facebook and X accounts, and the government worked with the platforms to get the bot networks removed.

"This campaign could discourage and make it difficult for MPs to carry out their duties and may dissuade MPs and diaspora communities in Canada from speaking out on issues which concern them," said a foreign ministry report about the incident.