
2025 Federal Election Monitoring and Response
As the spread of disinformation increases, protecting the integrity of our information ecosystem is more important than ever. This is why the Canadian Digital Media Research Network (CDMRN) and its collaborators, led by the Media Ecosystem Observatory (MEO), will be actively monitoring and responding to information manipulation throughout the election period.


Digital Threat Tipline
See something online? Say something!
The Digital Threat Tipline is an easy-to-use platform where anyone can report misleading information or media content that could negatively impact democracy in Canada. If you’ve encountered fake news, manipulated stories, misleading images or videos, or other suspicious content that seems designed to deceive or manipulate public opinion, please report it to us! All tips will be reviewed but due to volume we will not be replying to each individual tip.
Check our english and french tipline below!

WEEKLY UPDATES
Each week during the election period, we’ll share a clear summary and analysis of the information environment of the Canadian election including our evaluation of manipulations and influence campaigns.
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Describe key trends and shifts within the Information Ecosystem, including spikes in engagement with political parties on platforms like X, growing concerns about foreign influence, and other dynamics shaping public understanding and decision-making.
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An overview of information incidents currently being monitored and addressed by CDMRN and its partners, along with newly detected or developing incidents that could impact the information ecosystem.
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An update on the work of the wider Canadian research and civil society community to support election integrity in Canada, including initiatives focused on transparency and information literacy.
Want to know how we do it?
Watch this video to learn about our election monitoring and response.

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Canadians are avid users of social media platforms – and, consequently, so are our electoral candidates.
Les Canadiens sont de grands utilisateurs des plateformes de médias sociaux — et, par conséquent, nos candidats électoraux le sont aussi.

LATEST INCIDENTS
In this section, we monitor information incidents that have the potential to mislead the public to disrupt democracy during the federal elections by analyzing their impact on the Canadian information ecosystem. Our updates assess the nature and impacts of incidents, as well as provide valuable insights and lesson learned.


Coalition for Information Ecosystem Resilience

Building collaboration for information ecosystem monitoring & response during the next federal election
To enable and build a resilient information ecosystem that is able to:
minimize the likelihood of disruption (contain)
bounce back from moments of instability,
and reorganize, adapt to and learn from change (bounce forward)
IN THE MEDIA
Hyperpartisan and misleading content from popular right-wing pages such as Canada Proud is thriving on Facebook as the election nears.
Report finds over a quarter of Canadians exposed to ‘more sophisticated and more politically polarizing’ fake content
In this episode, host Dustyn Lanz is joined by Dr. Aengus Bridgman, one of Canada’s leading experts on misinformation and the politics of digital media. Aengus is Director of the Media Ecosystem Observatory and an Assistant Professor at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. The conversation delves into the troubling intersection of misinformation, politics, and the rise of deepfake crypto scams during the 2025 Canadian federal elections. Aengus highlights the pervasive use of manipulated images of Canadian politicians in ads across social media platforms, emphasizing the scale of deception and the financial exploitation of voters. He critiques the current state of the information ecosystem, pointing out the failures in platform regulation and governance that allow such practices to thrive.
➡️ Check out ElectionTipline.ca for the latest tools & resources on disinformation incidents in the Canadian election.
How concerned should we be about election interference online? Taylor Owen and his colleagues at the Media Ecosytem Observatory keep a close eye on who's trying to sway our elections, and whether or not they're succeeding. He joins Paul to discuss that work and share his wish list for the next government’s digital policy.
As Canada heads into an election this month, voters looking for campaign news on Facebook or Instagram will find material filtered through online creators and influencers -- and no links to articles from major media outlets.
A network of scam accounts are running Facebook ads featuring an AI-generated prime minister at a time when all news is blocked on the Meta-owned platform in Canada
A media monitoring organization says the “ news blackout” on Facebook and Instagram is blocking crucial updates for voters. CBC Calgary’s Rob Brown reveals new research into how this shift might affect your feed during the election.
A deep dive into how disinformation is evolving—and what it means for Canada’s democracy and elections.
Image generator is supposed to block certain content, but ChatGPT suggested workarounds
Selon les experts de l’Observatoire de l’écosystème de l’information de l’Université McGill, la diffusion de deux articles au ton informatif sur un compte WeChat lié au Parti communiste chinois ne constitue pas une preuve que Pékin appuie le Parti libéral du Canada.
The Facebook group now called “Canadians for the 51st state and Elon Musk for Governor” used to be Hamilton’s thriving buy-and-sell community — until it was “hijacked.”
While the focus in recent years has been on Russia, China and India, there are fresh concerns about efforts from south of the border.
Social media makes spread of disinformation easy and risk of foreign influence high, making fact-checking important during federal election
Canada needs a new approach to detect, expose and neutralize disinformation in both the short- and long-term, say leading experts.
In the shadow of U.S. tariffs, reviving pipeline projects has been up for discussion in this federal election campaign, even in Quebec, where opposition has been strong in the past. So how did Montreal go from the city where half a million people marched for climate action, to a place where the environment seems barely on the ballot?
With little regulation and a massive active audience, social media is a hotbed for information manipulation during an election. CBC’s Farah Nasser goes to the Media Ecosystem Observatory to find out what to watch for in your feed in the weeks ahead.
We’re a few weeks into a federal election that is currently too close to call. And while most Canadians are wondering who our next Prime Minister will be, my guests today are preoccupied with a different question: will this election be free and fair?
As the election campaign ramps up, what kind of misinformation and disinformation is spreading online? We talk to Aengus Bridgman, one of Canada’s leading experts on misinformation.
Taylor Owen is the Beaverbrook Chair in Media, Ethics, and Communication at McGill University and the host of The Globe and Mail’s Machines Like Us podcast. Helen A. Hayes is a PhD candidate at McGill University, and a senior fellow at the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney is pledging an initial funding boost of $150 million for CBC/Radio-Canada as part of a new mandate to expand local news and emergency coverage. Carney also pledged to make future funding subject to approval from Parliament and not just the government’s cabinet
Entrevue avec Mathieu Lavigne, chercheur affilié à l’observatoire de l’écosystème médiatique à McGill sur la désinformation en ligne
Letters from four social-media companies to Elections Canada outline their platforms’ content and political advertising policies and in some cases also defend their approaches. The platforms are also partnering with Elections Canada to provide voting information to Canadians – a move researchers called positive.
Conservative advocacy group Canada Proud is dominating the discussion of the federal election on Facebook and Instagram as the Meta-owned platforms continue to block the sharing of all news content in Canada.
Aengus Bridgman joins the Law Bytes podcast to talk about the state of the major platforms in Canada in 2025, how our information ecosystem is vulnerable to misinformation, and what we should be doing about it.
Canada’s 45th federal election campaign is in full swing, and information is coming at us fast and furious. But look out: Disinformation isn’t far behind. The threats of fake news, deepfakes and foreign interference infiltrating your social media feed have never been higher. What should you watch out for and what can you do about it?
Élections fédérales : Les risques d’ingérence étrangère plus élevés que jamais
Canadians are in the midst of a federal election at a time when they can’t access news on the most popular social media platforms — and as U.S. President Donald Trump’s ally Elon Musk uses his own platform to meddle in the politics of other countries.
Dans la semaine qui a précédé le déclenchement des élections, les principaux partis politiques fédéraux ont acheté pour plus de 900 000 $ de publicité à Meta, une entreprise américaine qui interdit le partage de vraies nouvelles sur ses plateformes, mais qui permet la prolifération de fausses nouvelles.
Opening Segment (0:56); Disinformation from abroad is a real danger in a race where Canada-U.S. mistrust is high. (17:44); GoFundMe campaign seeks support for appeal of Preston Springs condo proposal (35:49); Living Retired (53:35); Annual Highland Ball returns to Cambridge Armoury (1:11.28); KWAG 'Culture Talk' shines a light on placemaking and social infrastructure (1:20.24); The Flipside (1:29.37); It's the 12 o'clock Talkback Hour! (1:49.38)