RRM Canada Uncovers Information Operation Targeting Liberal Leadership Candidate
The Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) Canada, part of Global Affairs Canada, has identified an information operation targeting Chrystia Freeland, who is a candidate in the leadership race for the Liberal Party of Canada. This detection was carried out under the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force.
The operation involved spreading disinformation via WeChat, a messaging app favored for news by many Chinese-speaking users. The campaign originated from a prominent anonymous blog on WeChat, traced to connections with the People’s Republic of China.
The operation ran from January 29 to February 3, 2025, involving over 30 accounts and generating over 140,000 engagements, with an estimated reach to 2 to 3 million users worldwide.
Details of this operation were shared with the Liberal Party officials and Freeland’s team on February 7, signaling continued vigilance by SITE Task Force for any further information manipulation attempts during the ongoing leadership contest.