Global Affairs Canada reported that a social media campaign likely connected to China is targeting dozens of Canadian MPs with spam and disinformation. The "Spamouflage" campaign began in early August, using a bot network to leave thousands of comments on MPs' Facebook and Twitter accounts. The comments falsely accuse a critic of the Chinese Communist Party in Canada of making criminal and ethical allegations against the MPs. The campaign has targeted MPs across the political spectrum, including PM Trudeau and opposition leader Poilievre. It also uses deepfake videos of the individuals.

Global Affairs says the campaign seeks to discredit the MPs by alleging impropriety, and to silence criticism of China by discouraging engagement with the critic. Canada's Rapid Response Mechanism assesses that the campaign is connected to China. The official investigating is ongoing.

Spamouflage spreads propaganda and fake content interleaved with more ordinary-looking posts to make the messaging seem organic. The bot accounts create an echo chamber with little real user engagement. The same or similar networks were responsible for the spread of conspiracy theories about Hawaiian wildfires and the recent discharge of Fukushima wastewater.

Canada pledged to monitor threats and shine light on disinformation undermining free speech and trust in democracy. MPs have been given advice on how to protect themselves from foreign interference. The spam attacks pose no threat to the MPs' physical safety.