Is the Beijing Regime Ramping Up Cyber Operations in Canada?

A hacker uses a website that monitors global cyberattacks on his computer at an office in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China, on Aug. 4, 2020. Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary

Ah, the internet and social media! Thanks to one of the greatest developments in communications history, we have at our disposal a series of tools that should, in theory at least, have led to the promotion and sharing of a near-infinite treasure trove of information and data that could have made us all more knowledgeable, smarter, and more able to face the challenges of today and the future. Instead we are inundated with trolling, disinformation and misinformation, and a weakening of social structures.

The creation of these platforms by liberal secular democracies and those who live within them has not gone unnoticed by those at the other end of the political spectrum: dictators, autocrats, and illiberal leaders who use these gateways to monitor, threaten, and punish anyone perceived as antithetical to their aims. Not surprisingly, the main players in this bunch are China, Iran, and Russia, all of which are the poster boys of closed societies which broker no opposition, no criticism.

Focusing solely on China, we in Canada have seen a spike (even beyond historically high levels) in messaging that targets dissidents and anyone else opposed to any number of human rights violations committed by Beijing (crackdowns in Xinjiang Province, the erasure of Tibet, the persecution campaign against Falun Gong, the elimination of any semblance of democracy in Hong Kong, threats to Taiwan, aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea, etc.). Called “spamouflage” by some, these actions have included the posting of AI-generated videos on social media that mimic real people, all in an effort to spread false narratives and damage the individual’s credibility.

Beijing is also using tariffs, a threat Canada knows all too well from moves by the new U.S. administration, to put pressure on our country to enact policies more in its interests. In addition, Canada’s national security agencies are warning that the soon-to-be-called federal election will be rife with AI and fake news, much of it generated by China, to influence voters. We have already seen the extent to which the People’s Republic has tried to sway election results (Johnston report, Hogue inquiry) and it is a safe bet that these initiatives will only continue.

China’s campaign has undoubtedly been bolstered by Canada’s weak response to its interference, ranging from denial, to inaction, to undermining the work carried out by our spy agencies, to accusations of “racism” by our protectors, to the unhelpful delays in implementing tools and new laws to monitor and prevent this influence peddling from happening in the first place.

Most people, alas, are ill-equipped to recognize AI and fake images for what they are. The technology underpinning these maleficent tools is improving rapidly and the average person has neither the ability (nor the interest?) to determine what is real and what is not. As a consequence, we are consuming data that is false but which can have a disproportionate effect on our decision-making. How often has a fake video led some to draw conclusions that serve to advance the goals of outside actors?

I fear that the authorities in Canada are talking the talk but not walking the walk. We already know what our adversaries are up to and have been aware of it for decades. And yet, we do not seem to be able to put in place programs (education, awareness training, real penalties for those posting fake news online, pressure on social media companies to remove such content, etc.). This lack of action is puzzling.

As a result, the Beijing regime is getting away with unfettered involvement in our democratic process. They are undoubtedly working into their plans our current disputes with the United States to paint themselves as a more reliable trade partner (although that does make the tariffs on Canadian canola an odd strategic choice). That partnership will, however, come at a cost: not criticizing China for its actions as described above.

Simply stated, China sees an easy path for its interference and influence-gathering efforts in Canada.

We Canadians need to wake up and fully understand the threat this poses to us. The time for action is now, not three elections from now. Our security agencies need the resources to actively thwart Chinese efforts to undermine our country and the intelligence they carefully produce needs to be read, understood, and incorporated into meaningful actions.

Canada has stood up in the past when situations are dire. Those conditions are again in play and a strong response is required.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.