YouTube says the channels of a far-right Canadian influencer have been removed after U.S. officials alleged the company she co-founded received US$760,000 in fees and commissions as part of an alleged Russian ploy to dupe right-wing influencers into sowing division among Americans.
An indictment filed Wednesday charged two employees of RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, in a US$10-million scheme that purportedly used social media personalities to distribute content with Russian government messaging.
While not explicitly mentioned in court documents, the details match up with Tenet Media, founded by Canadian Lauren Chen and Liam Donovan, who identifies as her husband on social media.
"Following an indictment ... and after careful review, we are terminating the Tenet Media channel and four channels operated by its owner Lauren Chen as part of our ongoing efforts to combat co-ordinated influence operations," a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement.
Chen, listed as a contributor on RT's website, was born in Canada and raised in Hong Kong. Her other social media accounts had fallen silent since the indictment and she had not responded to an emailed request for comment.
Court documents allege the Russians created a fake investor who provided money to the social media company to hire the influencers, paying the founders significant fees, including through a company account in Canada.
The two RT employees, Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
The U.S. Justice Department doesn’t allege any wrongdoing by the influencers.
Among Tenet Media personalities are popular influencers Tim Pool, Dave Rubin and Benny Johnson. Pool posted on social media that he had been contacted by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
"Should these allegations prove true, I as well as the other personalities and commentators were deceived and are victims," Pool posted on X.
Right-wing Canadian commentator Lauren Southern is also among the Tenet cast of personalities. She had not posted on social media about the indictment, nor responded to an email asking for comment.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said he could not comment on the investigation but confirmed Canada had been working in close co-operation with the U.S. and other allies.
"Any Canadians who illegally assist in Russia's persistent attempts to use disinformation, criminal and covert activities, and corruption to undermine our sovereignty and democratic processes will face the full force of Canadian law," LeBlanc said in a statement Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
— With files from The Associated Press
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