There's a group of hot new YouTubers going viral in Canada. The only problem? They’re (likely) not Canadian, mostly AI-generated, and are actively trying to get Alberta to become a U.S. state.
Driving the news: A new report from researchers at the Media Ecosystem Observatory found a collection of "deliberately inauthentic” social media accounts peddling misinformation and promoting the idea of Alberta joining the U.S. These videos, often touting public support for Alberta becoming the 51st state, have already amassed 40 million views.
Researchers said they couldn’t pinpoint where the videos were coming from, but that it was clear they weren’t Canadian (one video narrator — claiming to be a local discussing politics with B.C. residents — was actually a voice actor in Pennsylvania).
Zoom in: The report described the YouTube campaign as a “potential covert influence operation.” Some have pointed directly to the U.S. A University of Calgary professor told CBC News “It is clear that there will be foreign interference from American actors,” adding that Alberta is “excessively vulnerable to American interference.”
Why it matters: Only 17% of Albertans currently support the idea of joining the U.S., according to a recent Leger poll, but misinformation campaigns like these, which exaggerate the support for a political movement, can eventually generate real momentum.
Bottom line: Foreign interference is nothing new in Canada, but the potential of U.S. involvement is jarring. Publicly, we’ve seen U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent voice support for the separatist movement (calling Alberta a “natural partner for the U.S."), while behind closed doors, separatist leaders claim to have met with high level members of the Trump administration.—LA
