Cyber Smear: The Digital Assault on Chrystia Freeland

A Canadian task force reported malicious activities on Chinese social media targeting Chrystia Freeland, who aims to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal Party leader. These attacks, traced to an anonymous WeChat account, have added to existing accusations against China for interfering in Canadian elections.

A Canadian task force announced on Friday that malicious news articles originating from Chinese social media attempted to undermine Chrystia Freeland, the former Finance Minister campaigning to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the Liberal Party leader. The Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force (SITE) identified "coordinated and malicious activity" targeting Freeland through an anonymous, yet popular, WeChat news account.

Investigations linked the WeChat blog to China, according to experts at the California-based China Digital Times. Freeland firmly responded on social media, stating, "I will not be intimidated by Chinese foreign interference," emphasizing her experience confronting authoritarian regimes. Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in Canada dismissed the allegations, labeling them "absurd" and "fabricated."

The operation against Freeland is the latest in Canada's series of accusations against China regarding election interference. A recent official probe concluded that China attempted to meddle in past elections, although outcomes remained unaffected. More than 30 WeChat accounts participated in the campaign against Freeland, which reached millions globally according to SITE. As Freeland vies for the Liberal Party leadership, the party is set to announce Trudeau's successor on March 9.

(With inputs from agencies.)