Canadian officials have identified a Chinese-backed information operation on WeChat targeting Liberal Leader Mark Carney, designed to influence Chinese-Canadian voters. The operation utilizes conflicting narratives about Carney’s political positions. Despite heightened activity, officials assert the election’s integrity remains intact, and they plan to engage with WeChat’s parent company, Tencent, regarding these issues.

Recent reports from Canadian officials monitoring foreign interference in the federal election reveal a targeted operation against Liberal Leader Mark Carney on the WeChat platform, reportedly supported by Chinese entities. This operation, attributed to Youli-Youmian, a prominent WeChat news account tied to the Chinese Communist Party, aims to sway views within the Chinese-Canadian community by disseminating articles that present mixed narratives about Carney’s political stances and qualifications.

Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet for Communications, Laurie-Anne Kempton, remarked that the operation disseminates both positive portrayals and criticisms of Mr. Carney, thus attempting to shape public perception. Nevertheless, Kempton indicated that the SITE task force does not believe this operation undermines the integrity of Canada’s electoral process, emphasizing that Canadians are still capable of independently deciding their voting preferences.

Following escalated activity on WeChat two days post-election call on March 23, officials informed the Liberal campaign about the presence of this operation. Notably, a surge in activity was noted on March 10, the day after Carney won the Liberal leadership contest. The articles involved garnered significant engagement, with estimated interactions ranging from 85,000 to 130,000 and views between one and three million, starkly contrasting the typical engagement seen with posts from state media outlets, which average around 30,000 interactions.

The Youli-Youmian account had previously engaged in disinformation campaigns against political figures including Conservative candidate Michael Chong and former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Responding to this ongoing concern, the SITE task force plans to engage with Tencent, WeChat’s parent company, to communicate their findings and concerns regarding these operations. Bridget Walshe, an associate head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, depicted a broader threat posed by state-affiliated actors like China, suggesting they will persist in exploiting social media to propagate narratives beneficial to the People’s Republic of China.

Officials have raised alarms about the increasing likelihood of foreign threat actors, including China, using advanced technologies, such as AI-generated content, to manipulate the electoral landscape as the federal election period continues.

In summary, Chinese-affiliated operations targeting Liberal Leader Mark Carney on WeChat raise significant concerns regarding foreign interference in Canadian elections. While these efforts employ tactics to influence perceptions within the Chinese-Canadian community, authorities believe that the integrity of the electoral process remains intact. Measures are being taken to address these threats, and officials continue to monitor the situation closely.

Original Source: globalnews.ca

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