Caveat – We wrote this article based on the following question we received from one of our social media followers: “Do you guys discuss elections and AI, this is huge. this made it onto my tabs on my computer and tons of red flags went off and I didn’t proceed after calling them but it is so real, it is unbelievable”
As Canada heads into the 2025 federal election, it’s becoming clear that the real battleground isn’t just on campaign trails or debate stages, it’s online. From AI-generated deepfakes to weaponized private chat groups, Canadians are navigating a disinformation minefield that threatens not only the integrity of the democratic processes, but also our collective ability to separate fact from fiction. (1)(2)
According to a recent report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), disinformation and misinformation is now considered one of the most significant threats facing Canada. (3) This concern is not new. In 2023, the Canadian Communications Security Establishment (CSE) also warned that Canada should expect unprecedented activity by foreign actors in our cyber and information space in the next federal election cycle, especially with the use of AI-generated content including deepfake videos and other sophisticated tools of deception. (4)
These aren’t just hypothetical warnings. The current trade tensions between Canada and the United States, intensified by false narratives, ideological echo chambers, and manipulated media, have been stoked in part by bad-faith actors online. Add to that foreign state interference from known players like Russia, China, and Iran, and we begin to see how deeply entangled online misinformation and disinformation has become with real-world geopolitical consequences.
Gone are the days when the evening news delivered by trusted anchors was the only way we learned about political platforms. Today, how we get information, who creates that information, and who shares it is distorting our sense of reality. Platforms like Meta (formerly Facebook) where there are approximately 26-30 million Canadian users (5), and X (formerly Twitter) where there are approximately 14 million Canadian users online, can wield immense influence over the Canadian electorate. However, just as powerful are private messaging apps like Telegram, WhatsApp, and WeChat, where closed groups often become echo chambers for politically polarizing content.
This environment creates a fragmented and chaotic information ecosystem. Misinformation and disinformation doesn’t just mislead, it manipulates, reinforcing pre-existing biases and weakening our ability to solve problems collectively. The result? A democracy that becomes more reactive than reflective, more tribal than tolerant.
We believe a significant moment in this shift came when Meta refused to comply with Canada’s Online News Act, which required tech companies to compensate Canadian news organizations. In response, Meta removed Canadian journalism from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, effectively cutting off millions of Canadians from reliable, fact-checked news sources. This vacuum has since been filled with questionable content, memes disguised as news, and AI-generated “hot takes” with little accountability.
Meanwhile, calls for “freedom of speech” in online spaces are increasingly clashing with efforts to moderate harmful content. This tension between free expression and regulation is challenging the foundations of public discourse, often deepening ideological divides and complicating efforts to find common ground.
A Teaching Moment for Youth and Teens
While this reality is troubling, it also presents a valuable teaching opportunity for parents, caregivers, educators, and mentors. Today’s youth are growing up in a world where algorithms, influencers, and memes often compete with educators and journalists as sources of information.Helping young people understand how misinformation and disinformation works, and how it can shape politics, perception, and public opinion is essential.
This election can serve as a real-time classroom for digital literacy. Educators, parents, and caregivers can ask:
- Who made this content, and why?
- What’s the source, is it verified?
- Can we fact-check this through multiple reliable outlets?
- How does this information make us feel, and are those feelings being manipulated?
We should empower youth to think critically about how information is crafted, shared, and received online. (7) Understanding AI’s role in generating deceptive content, identifying deepfake videos, and recognizing confirmation bias in echo chambers are now essential 21st-century skills. For educators, our friends at Media Smarts Canada have created a great lesson plan on this specific topic (8)
Canada’s 2025 federal election is not just about political parties, it’s about protecting the health of our democracy in today’s onlife world. If we want the next generation to inherit a political system that values truth, accountability, and civic engagement, we must start by teaching them how to recognize what’s real , and what’s not, in today’s onlife world.
The fight against misinformation isn’t just about preventing interference, it’s about preserving our democracy.
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Emotions, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech
References:
2/ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/more-fake-cbc-ads-investigation-1.7494923
5/ https://madeinca.ca/social-media-statistics-canada/
6/ https://madeinca.ca/twitter-statistics-canada/
7/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/f-a-c-t-s-your-guide-to-smarter-fact-checking-online/
8/ https://mediasmarts.ca/lessonplan/watching-elections-lesson
