Foreign Bots Target Canadian Unity, Spread Disinformation on Social Media

While scrolling through social media in an Alberta hotel late October, a video posted by former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk caught my attention. The post highlighted a petition by his organization, Forever Canadian, asking “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?” The petition had attracted over 456,000 signatures, far exceeding its initial target of 300,000.

This overwhelming response seemed to decisively reject Alberta separatism, a movement that has received considerable media attention in recent years. The clear message from Albertans themselves: they want to remain part of Canada.

When I shared this positive news on my Facebook page, something peculiar happened. Within hours, dozens of negative comments flooded in from accounts I didn’t recognize. These commenters attacked Lukaszuk, criticized me personally, and expressed strong support for Alberta independence while disparaging Canada.

The suspicious pattern became clear upon closer inspection: all these accounts had been created around the same time in 2022, and none had posted content prior to commenting on my post. These appeared to be bots—automated fake accounts programmed to promote Alberta separatism and undermine Canadian unity.

This wasn’t an isolated incident. Just last Sunday, I shared statistics from the “World of Statistics” X account noting that Canada ranks as the “most loved” nation according to WorldAtlas, describing it as “further evidence that Canada isn’t broken.” Hours later, I shared another post indicating Canada was also ranked the world’s friendliest country by U.S. News and World Report.

While these posts received minimal engagement on my Facebook page, they were automatically shared to my Threads account, where they triggered another wave of hostile responses. Comments like “Working full time can barely get by. Good job f—ing Libtards” and “The socialist Republic of Chinada” appeared from accounts with few followers and minimal posting history. One account created in 2023 had posted just a single message.

This pattern of coordinated negative responses to positive news about Canada represents a growing threat to national unity. Foreign actors appear to be deliberately spreading disinformation about Canada and fostering division among citizens through sophisticated bot networks, algorithms, and AI-generated content across social media platforms.

The timing is particularly concerning as Canadians increasingly turn to social media for news consumption, making them vulnerable to false or manipulated information. This shift away from traditional, fact-checked news sources creates fertile ground for disinformation campaigns that exploit legitimate concerns while promoting divisive narratives.

The impact of these campaigns shouldn’t be underestimated. They create artificial impressions of widespread discontent, reinforce political polarization, and distort citizens’ understanding of their own country. When Canadians base their opinions on fabricated or manipulated information, reasonable political disagreement becomes increasingly difficult.

Canada is not alone in facing these challenges. Intelligence agencies worldwide have documented similar foreign interference campaigns targeting democratic nations. These operations aim to weaken democracies from within by exploiting existing tensions and creating new divisions where none previously existed.

Addressing this threat requires a multi-pronged approach. First, Canadians should reduce reliance on social media for news and instead turn to established news organizations with strong journalistic standards and track records of accurate reporting. Media literacy initiatives can help citizens better identify suspicious content and verify information before sharing it.

Individually, Canadians can challenge disinformation when they encounter it, engaging in difficult but necessary fact-based conversations with friends and family members who may have been influenced by false narratives. This includes confronting propaganda about healthcare, race relations, and other divisive topics with verifiable facts.

Social media companies also bear responsibility for identifying and removing coordinated inauthentic behavior on their platforms. While companies like Meta have made progress in this area, the sophistication of these campaigns continues to evolve.

Despite appearances, Canadians remain far less divided than social media might suggest. However, determined foreign interests are leveraging technology to create and amplify divisions. Recognizing these tactics and actively countering them is essential for preserving Canada’s democratic discourse and national unity.