Canada Accuses China of 'Spamouflage' Social Media Disinformation Campaign Targeting Trudeau and Other Politicians

China Denied the Accusations of Covert Disinformation Attacks on Social Media Platforms, Including Deepfake Videos and Bots, Aimed at Discrediting Canadian Politicians and Suppressing Dissent; Relations Between the Two Countries Continue to Deteriorate

Canada has accused China of running a 'spamouflage' campaign, in which bots posted disinformation and propaganda on the social media accounts of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other politicians. The campaign took place in August and September and targeted a variety of lawmakers.
The messages, posted through new and hijacked social media accounts, included accusations of criminal and ethical violations against Canadian officials, false claims about the Hawaiian wildfires, and deepfake videos.
According to the Canadian Foreign Ministry, the spate of disinformation was aimed at stifling criticism of Beijing and could potentially discourage MPs and Canadian diaspora communities from expressing their dissent on certain issues.
Despite Canada's allegations, the Chinese Embassy in Canada has denied any involvement in the information attacks, terming the accusations as a 'blatant smear campaign' and asserting that Beijing does not interfere in other countries' internal affairs.
These charges further escalate the already strained relations between China and Canada which stemmed from the 2018 detention of a Chinese telecommunications executive by Canadian police and the subsequent arrest of two Canadians on spying charges by Beijing.