EDMONTON — A report says foreign actors are increasingly generating articles, podcasts and social media posts riddled with disinformation about Alberta’s separatist movement.

The report from a team of researchers, published by the Canadian monitoring platform DisinfoWatch, says the campaigns are coming out of Russia and the United States.

It says social media influencers, some created by artificial intelligence, are generating the disinformation in the United States.

In Russia, false content is being posted on a series of Kremlin-aligned websites called Pravda News Network.

The report warns the influencing campaigns are set to intensify as Alberta heads toward an October referendum with a possible question on separation.

The report says although Alberta’s separatist movement is rooted in legitimate grievances, the province and Canada need to take steps to debunk disinformation to ensure debate is democratically sound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2026.

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press