Deepfake Network Spreading Falsehoods About U.S.-Canada Trade War

• •A network is using deepfakes to spread misinformation about the U.S.-Canada trade war.
• •The deepfake videos have been viewed over 22 million times across nearly 300 accounts.
• •The identity and motivations of the network's operators remain unknown.

A report from McGill University reveals a network likely based outside Canada using deepfake videos to disseminate politically divisive content to Canadians. The network employs deepfakes of real influencers, creating videos that misrepresent the U.S.-Canada trade war. One notable false claim involved a fabricated ultimatum from U.S. President Donald Trump, which was shared in 161 videos and viewed over 5 million times. The network consists of nearly 300 TikTok and Instagram accounts, posting over 3,201 videos that have amassed 22.1 million views in three months. The operators of this network remain unidentified, though their activity suggests a base outside North America, with some accounts showing Chinese-language settings. The report indicates that the motivations behind the network are unclear, as it does not appear to promote any specific foreign government narratives or monetize its content.