As Canada approaches its federal election on April 28, concerns are rising about potential foreign interference. While China is widely seen as the primary threat, Canadian officials are also closely monitoring influence operations from other nations, including India.
The Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force, which tracks possible interference during the election period, is actively engaged in overseeing the security of Canada’s democratic process. During a briefing on Monday, Vanessa Lloyd, the task force’s chair and Deputy Director of Operations at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), highlighted the likelihood of China utilizing AI-powered tools to attempt election interference. “The People’s Republic of China is highly likely to use these tools to disrupt the democratic process in this election,” she stated.
Lloyd also identified India as a nation of concern, noting, “We have observed that the government of India has both the intent and the capability to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes.”
Other countries, such as Russia and Pakistan, have also been flagged as potential sources of foreign interference. The SITE Task Force coordinates efforts across various government agencies, including Global Affairs Canada’s Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), which monitors digital environments for state-backed disinformation campaigns.
In a warning issued during the recent Liberal Party leadership race, RRM Canada flagged a “spamouflage” operation linked to China. This term refers to a combination of “spam” and “camouflage,” where misleading content and propaganda are disguised within seemingly innocuous, human-interest material. The task force issued similar alerts earlier in the campaign about various threats to the integrity of the election.
Earlier this year, the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions released a final report that identified India as the “second most active” country involved in electoral interference in Canada. China, according to the report, remains the top foreign threat to Canadian democracy.
The report, led by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue, described the longstanding tensions between Canada and India, particularly regarding Canada’s handling of India’s national security concerns related to Khalistani separatism—the movement advocating for an independent Sikh homeland in northern India. These tensions, the report suggested, have influenced India’s foreign interference strategies, which focus on the Indo-Canadian community and key non-Indo-Canadian individuals, aiming to influence all levels of Canadian government.
India’s methods, according to the inquiry, often involve its diplomatic officials in Canada and various proxies used to advance its political objectives.
