Russian content farms have been pushing pro-separatist content into online communities and using Canadians to “launder” those messages by sharing such material on their social media feeds, the researchers said.

The U.S. activity, on the other hand, is more overt, with prominent American influencers, podcasts and websites openly promoting Alberta separation, said Brian McQuinn, co-director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Data, and Conflict at the University of Regina, according to Grant Robertson at the Globe and Mail.

“Foreign aligned platforms continue to amplify anti-government grievances and issues associated with the Alberta separatist movement,” the July report said.