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.

Rattrapage du vendredi 4 avril 2025

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.

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.

Today on the phone-in: We hear from listeners about the issues they're most concerned about in this federal election. Our guests are political scientist Jamie Gillies from UNB and Aengus Bridgman from McGill University.