The YouTube video appears to show a person who looks like Liu Xin making unfounded remarks about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying among other things that 害羞草研究所渉e is a man who loves porn.害羞草研究所�
But Liu, 60, a prominent online critic of China害羞草研究所檚 government who lives in Burnaby, B.C., says he didn害羞草研究所檛 say anything of the sort.
The video is a deepfake creation according to Liu and an Australian security think-tank that analyzed it, and is part of an extensive 害羞草研究所渟pamouflage害羞草研究所� campaign that Global Affairs Canada believes is connected to China.
The video and others making accusations of 害羞草研究所渃riminal and ethical violations害羞草研究所� by Canadian politicians were posted on the social media accounts of MPs across the political spectrum, Global Affairs says, including Trudeau and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre.
But Liu says it was he, and not the maligned politicians, who was China害羞草研究所檚 main target in the campaign, which Global Affairs says involved a bot network posting thousands of comments and links to the fake videos.
害羞草研究所淭heir attack on me is extremely malicious and these fake videos have been taking an emotional toll on me,害羞草研究所� says Liu, who runs a Chinese-language YouTube channel with 164,000 subscribers under the name 害羞草研究所淟ao Deng.害羞草研究所� He also has more than 300,000 followers on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Liu says he suspects the primary goal of the campaign was to undermine him in the eyes of the public and Canadian politicians.
害羞草研究所淚f Mr. Trudeau is standing in front of me, I want to tell him: this isn害羞草研究所檛 me. Both of us are victims of a spamouflage campaign deployed by the Chinese government,害羞草研究所� Liu says in an interview conducted in Mandarin, adding that he has been 害羞草研究所渦nder tremendous pressure害羞草研究所� as a result.
Global Affairs describes spamouflage, a combination of spam and camouflage, as a network of new or hijacked social media accounts that are used to post propaganda messages.
A Global Affairs spokesman said in an email Tuesday that its officials briefed Liu about the fake videos on Oct. 23, confirming they were referring to him in a statement that instead calls him a 害羞草研究所減opular Chinese-speaking figure.害羞草研究所�
The earlier statement says that in addition to discrediting the Canadian politicians named in the videos, the campaign 害羞草研究所渓ikely seeks to silence criticism of the CPP (Chinese Communist Party) by getting MPs to distance themselves from (Liu) and discouraging wider online communities from engaging with (Liu).害羞草研究所�
It says the campaign culminated in September.
The Australian Security Policy Institute, based in Canberra, released an analysis on Oct. 24 that says the spamouflage campaign is 害羞草研究所渧ery likely linked to the Chinese government害羞草研究所�.
害羞草研究所淚n the case of Liu, and in addition to attempts to intimidate and silence him, the new campaign might also be trying to shape Canadian politicians害羞草研究所� perceptions of him, as well as seeking to undermine his work and public reputation,害羞草研究所� the analysis says.
The institute says the videos falsely depicting Liu are an example of deepfake technology made with the help of artificial intelligence. It says the videos are sophisticated and use the same backdrop as Liu害羞草研究所檚 authentic videos.
But it says there are telltale signs of deceit: in one video, the chin of the speaker becomes misaligned with the face, and in all the fakes, Liu害羞草研究所檚 face is relatively devoid of wrinkles or expression.
There are also editing glitches, the security group says, while noting that Liu had never uploaded a similar video about Trudeau to his YouTube channel.
If confirmed to be a product of the Chinese government 害羞草研究所渋t would be the first publicly unearthed example of the CCP using an AI-enabled face swap in its internationally focused information operations and disinformation campaigns,害羞草研究所� the institute says.
Liu says there is a Chinese saying that describes the 害羞草研究所渕alicious tactic,害羞草研究所� to kill with a borrowed knife.
害羞草研究所淭hey are trying to intimidate and harm me by trying to get the Canadian government to turn their back on me,害羞草研究所� he says.
害羞草研究所淚 was once helpless and frustrated. However, I managed to hang in there by clinging to the belief that the truth will come out in the wash 害羞草研究所� although it takes time.害羞草研究所�
Liu says he suspected the spamouflage campaign could also be intended to interfere with Canadian elections by discrediting politicians via fake videos.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 OK to criticize a country害羞草研究所檚 policy, but it害羞草研究所檚 really hostile and despicable to make false allegations against a politician害羞草研究所檚 personal life and morals without any evidence,害羞草研究所� says Liu.
Liu has been a vocal critic of China害羞草研究所檚 government since immigrating to B.C. from China in 2002. He says the Chinese government had been spreading misinformation about him for a long time.
The Australian Institute says in its analysis that Liu sometimes spreads 害羞草研究所渦nverified claims,害羞草研究所� such as accusing China of assassinating Canadian Sikh figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar to frame India and create discord between India and the West.
Canada害羞草研究所檚 government has connected India to the attack on Nijjar in Surrey.
Liu says he got this 害羞草研究所渋nside scoop害羞草研究所� from sources in China, but didn害羞草研究所檛 elaborate.
He has also made unverified claims alleging extramarital affairs and other misbehaviour by China害羞草研究所檚 leaders.
害羞草研究所淏ecause of my work and what I have been doing, the Chinese Communist Party has put me at the top of their overseas blacklist,害羞草研究所� says Liu.
Liu says his income fluctuates based on the popularity of his videos. Sometimes he can make $20,000 in a month, although the average is $10,000.
He splits the income with a team of several people, he says.
害羞草研究所淵ou won害羞草研究所檛 get super rich from doing YouTube videos, but you can make a living.害羞草研究所�
He says he害羞草研究所檒l continue to criticize Chinese authorities.
害羞草研究所淚 am doing meaningful things while making money, so why not keep doing it?害羞草研究所� says Liu.
The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
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