A network of accounts on X (Twitter) are “artificially” amplifying misinformation about Canada’s economy and leadership, according to a report from digital threat research group Reset Tech, as shared with The Logic.
Per the report, at least 73 accounts — but “likely hundreds more” — are sharing fake stories about Canadian support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s intended annexation of Canada amid alleged economic decline leading businesses to exit the country. The stories source material from right-wing U.S. sites and Canadian outlets, such as Canada Free Press and Post Millennial.
The report goes on to cite some specific examples of the impact of these posts. In February, Texas Governor Greg Abbott responded to then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plans to retaliate against U.S. tariffs by threatening Canada with Texas’s “larger” economy. This post, which was amplified by this fake news network, ultimately garnered over 37 million views.
Another person whose account was boosted was author and conspiracy theorist Naomi Wolf, who has 475,000 followers and has been sharing pro-annexation and anti-vaccine messaging, as well as falsely claiming that “Canadians are voting for Trump in their provincial elections.”
Beyond that, the network accounts shared links to RT, a Russian state-owned media entity that was sanctioned by Canada in 2022 for actively engaging in Russia’s “global disinformation and influence efforts.” Posts targeting Liberal leader and Prime Minister Mark Carney were also regularly shared. It was also recently revealed that Chinese WeChat agents have been targeting Carney.
All of this comes amid criticisms of X for being a haven for misinformation since Elon Musk took over. In fact, the non-profit group Center for Countering Digital Hate reported that misleading posts from Musk alone garnered billions of views during the 2024 U.S. presidential election. European leaders have also criticized Musk for attempting to meddle in their elections.
Elections Canada has also admitted that there is a “serious” concern that foreign agents would wield social media — and “deepfakes,” specifically — to influence the federal election.
The federal election is set for April 28. More information on the voting process can be found on Elections Canada’s website.
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