As Canadians prepare to head to the polls, awareness of disinformation threats to our democracy remains crucial in maintaining the integrity of our elections and building societal resilience against these threats.
Recent monitoring by DisinfoWatch has identified several troubling narratives targeting critical issues, specific groups, and individual participants in our electoral process. These narratives aim to manipulate public perception, undermine election integrity, and amplify polarization. From China’s persistent denials of election interference to US-based conspiracy theories infiltrating Canadian discourse and Russia’s efforts to discredit candidates, this initial election report underscores the need for continued vigilance among journalists, elected officials, and activists in defending our democracy.
China Denies Interference Despite Extensive Evidence & Blames Conservative Party of Canada
One of the most persistent and troubling sources of disinformation threatening Canadian elections originates from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), whose official representatives repeatedly deny well-documented interference operations in Canadian elections, while deflecting blame onto other groups. PRC interference in the current election process has been ongoing for several months, when in December 2024, Beijing placed a $1 million bounty on a Conservative candidate in Markham-Unionville.
A March 26, 2025 article published by China’s state-run Global Times features the Chinese Embassy in Canada’s categorical denial of any interference in Canadian elections, asserting adherence to a strict policy of non-interference and dismissing allegations as baseless slander lacking factual evidence.
However, these claims contrast sharply with findings from Canadian intelligence agencies and official inquiries. The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, and a public inquiry led by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue have documented clear evidence of Chinese interference, including disinformation campaigns, covert financing of preferred candidates, and intimidation tactics against Canadian politicians critical of Beijing.
A March 25, 2025 Global Times article falsely accused the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Conservative Party of exaggerating and exploiting Chinese interference claims, suggesting partisan motives aimed at delegitimizing Liberal electoral victories. There is no evidence to support this claim. However, the accusation does appear to be an effort by PRC propagandists to try and deflect attention away from the their well documented long-term efforts to interfere in Canada’s democratic processes.
Contrary to these claims, comprehensive investigations, expert testimony, and bipartisan inquiries have firmly established evidence of Beijing’s interference in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections. The PRC media narrative also misleadingly implied that Canada inflates interference concerns to divert attention from strained relations with the United States—a deliberate distortion intended to undermine trust in democratic institutions.
US Conspiracy Theorist Endorses Canadian Illiberal Populist Leader
Not all foreign influence threats originate from authoritarian regimes—some cross the border from democracies themselves. On March 21, 2025, illiberal far-right US conspiracy theorist and influencer Alex Jones openly endorsed Maxime Bernier, leader of the populist People’s Party of Canada (PPC). In his broadcast, Jones praised Bernier’s confrontational anti-establishment rhetoric, characterizing his campaign as a struggle against “globalist tyranny.”
Jones, known internationally for promoting dangerous conspiracies—including those related to 9/11, mass shootings, COVID-19, and QAnon—wields influence within Canadian and US far-right and anti-democratic online communities. His public endorsement of Bernier signals potential cross-border radicalization risks, where extremist American rhetoric seeps into Canadian political discourse, inciting polarization, hate speech, and mistrust in democratic norms.
Bernier’s willingness to accept and leverage this US conspiracy theorist endorsement should raise concern among Canadians. Aligning with conspiracy theorists risks normalizing politically violent and toxic narratives from US politics, weakening Canadian social cohesion, and potentially increasing the risk of political violence.
Below is a DisinfoWatch video about some of Jones’ Kremlin aligned anti-Ukrainian disinformation.
Coordinated Campaign Targets Mark Carney with Bizarre US-Origin Disinformation
In early 2025, following former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement to step down as leader of the Liberal Party, former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney became the target of a coordinated disinformation campaign. This campaign involved fabricated images and stories attempting to link Carney to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
While two photographs emerged showing Carney and his wife at a UK music festival alongside Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. However, these images appear coincidental, with no evidence of any relationship between Carney and either Epstein or Maxwell.
Multiple fake images have been posted onto social media platforms. One such fabricated image circulated on social media depicteing Carney with Maxwell and actor Tom Hanks on a beach; this image was created using Elon Musk’s AI platform, GROK, and was later altered to obscure its origins – as demonstrated in the image below.
This and other artificially produced visuals—intended to support false claims about Mr. Carney’s alleged connections to Epstein—have been thoroughly debunked by fact-checking groups. Notably, these fake images have also been shared in French-language posts.
These fabricated materials are being used to bolster false narratives about Mr. Carney’s connections to Epstein and have spawned new conspiracy theories surrounding him. At an election rally Kitchener, Ontario, a heckler referenced the disinformation by asking, “How many kids did you molest with Jeffrey Epstein?” A video of this incident has been widely circulated, with some using it to lend further credibility to the false narrative. Carney, who was speaking in French, responded by saying “there’s diversity, then there’s diversity.”
We’ve got the first heckler of the LPC campaign.
A guy yelled at Carney, “How many kids did you molest with Jeffery Epstein?”
The crowd boo’d him, staff got him out of the room and Carney quipped “there’s diversity, then there’s diversity” #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/flUjXMli4Y
— Mackenzie Gray (@Gray_Mackenzie) March 26, 2025
A second video—an edited version of the same rally footage—has been shared by a U.S.-based “illiberal populist” influencer. The video falsely claims that Mr. Carney’s French-language response constitutes a “satanic chant,” and further alleges that rally participants were collectively engaging in “satanic chants.” Similar baseless accusations of “Satanism” have been made in the United States against senior Democratic officials, including John Podesta—Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign manager—feeding into the broader QAnon conspiracy theory alleging that members of a “global elite” kidnap children and drink their blood.
These false narratives appear to be metastasizing within far-right and far-left illiberal social media networks. On March 21, a video was posted to the Toronto-based platform Rumble by an account called “The People’s Voice,” which has over 100,000 followers. This video repeats the same false and defamatory claims made by the Quebec rally heckler and has been viewed nearly 100,000 times.
“The People’s Voice” was formerly known as “Punch News” and “Your News Wire,” which was identified in 2017 as one of the largest sources of misinformation on Facebook. While it’s based in Los Angeles, the outlet has also been identified as amplifying Kremlin aligned narratives. The platform recently published an article that amplified the false claim that Mr. Carney was chanting a “Satanic mantra” at the Kitchener, Ontario rally.
The involvement of a U.S.-based platform in producing and amplifying disinformation about a candidate in the Canadian federal election indicates a likely foreign effort to interfere in Canada’s electoral process.
Sputnik Publishes Article Targeting Mark Carney
In March 2025, Russian state media outlet Sputnik published an article targeting Mark Carney, the newly elected leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and incoming Prime Minister. The piece seeks to undermine Carney’s leadership by questioning his qualifications and integrity, aligning with broader Kremlin strategies to discredit Western leaders supportive of Ukraine.
Sputnik’s article criticizes Carney’s handling of the 2008 financial crisis during his tenure as Governor of the Bank of Canada, suggesting his policies exacerbated economic downturns. In reality, Carney received widespread acclaim for steering Canada through the crisis, maintaining a stable banking system and mitigating recession impacts, earning praise from figures like then-Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.
The article also condemns Carney’s vocal support for Ukraine, particularly his use of the phrase “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine), insinuating that such expressions are extremist. However, “Slava Ukraini” is a common patriotic slogan, akin to “Vive la France” or “God Bless America,” and is widely used by Western leaders backing Ukraine. Carney’s stance aligns with Canada’s foreign policy, which has consistently supported Ukraine since Russia’s 2014 invasion.
Furthermore, Sputnik portrays Carney’s political ascent as opportunistic, insinuating he is being installed by “elites”. This narrative aims to delegitimize his leadership by suggesting manipulation by hidden forces, a common tactic in Kremlin disinformation campaigns to erode trust in democratic institutions. This narrative is being amplified by illiberal populist influencers on social media as outlined above.
This disinformation effort mirrors previous Russian campaigns against Western leaders advocating for Ukraine, climate policies, or robust financial governance. Canadian figures like Stephen Harper, Chrystia Freeland, and James Bezan have faced similar tactics. By disseminating such narratives, Russian state media seeks to weaken support for Ukraine, sow distrust in political elites, and manipulate public opinion in democratic societies.
Protecting Canadian Democracy: A Call to Action
The threats outlined above represent a clear and persistent danger to Canadian democracy and the integrity of our elections. Hostile foreign actors like China and Russia, alongside extremist conspiracy networks from the United States, are targeting Canadian election candidates and the issues that are being debated during the election period.
Our democracy depends on collective vigilance. With transparent communication, coordinated responses, and proactive educational efforts, Canadians can defend democratic processes and social cohesion against manipulative attempts by authoritarian and extremist actors seeking to undermine our democracy.
Stay informed. Stay vigilant. Our democracy depends on it!
If you see something report it to Elections Canada HERE.
