Nieta Aqila, seemingly a supporter of Alberta separatism, made numerous posts on Facebook expressing discontent with Canada and claiming to have faced harassment while collecting petition signatures for Alberta’s independence. However, a CBC investigation uncovered that the individual behind the account is actually a noodle merchant and content creator from Indonesia. The account, along with 13 others from various countries, was found to be posting divisive content related to Alberta separatism on Facebook groups, garnering significant engagement.
Despite posing as a Canadian supporter of the movement, Nieta Aqila was based in Indonesia, as revealed by her Facebook profile. The account copied posts from real Albertans and even shared details about earning money through Meta’s monetization program. This discovery sheds light on the proliferation of overseas accounts contributing to politically charged discussions on social media platforms like Facebook.
Experts have raised concerns about how these deceptive practices could impact public discourse and emphasized the importance of platforms like Facebook enforcing authenticity and monetization guidelines. The issue of inauthentic activity surrounding Alberta separatism has gained traction, with instances of foreign-run accounts advocating for separatist ideologies being exposed.
The investigation highlighted a network of accounts with ties to Pakistan, exhibiting coordinated efforts to influence discussions on Alberta separatism. The Legacy Archives, Trend Top, and History Addicted, managed from Pakistan and the U.S., were among the identified accounts posting content in support of separatism on Facebook groups. Despite claims of residing in Canada, the Legacy Archives account did not provide further details when questioned about the involvement of other Pakistan-based accounts in Alberta separatist groups.
Following the investigation, Meta stated that it had taken action against accounts violating its policies on authenticity, leading to the removal of several accounts, including the Legacy Archives, Trend Top, and History Addicted. While some accounts have been deactivated, Nieta Aqila’s profile remains active, albeit with her posts removed from the Alberta Independence group.
