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Toronto Star
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
‘It feels dystopian:' AI-generated content about election flooded online news void
A group that tracks elections-related social media activity says a tsunami of content created by artificial intelligence filled Canada's online news void, making this federal election campaign the most 'dystopian' the country has ever seen. But Aengus Bridgman from the Ontario-based Media Ecosystem Observatory says the good news is that a large amount of sophisticated and false online content has seemingly had a low impact on Canadian electors so far. 'We don't have any evidence yet that Canadians are being manipulated or were convinced of things that are not true,' said Bridgman, also a professor at McGill University. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'This is absolutely a concern, and could occur, but it hasn't yet. There's just tons of generative AI content that we've seen.' Bridgman said the AI-generated content did little to change opinions because electors are smarter than they are given credit for. 'Canadians are much more aware of and concerned about, for example, foreign interference, the role of deepfakes and manipulated content online than previously,' he said. AI-generated content included memes and deepfake videos of politicians talking, Bridgman said. The observatory also saw an increase in AI-generated content that impersonated legitimate news sources to promote fraudulent investment schemes, often involving cryptocurrency. AI also repurposed a former buy and sell page on Facebook for a political group advocating for 51st statehood, Brigman said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'News is not available on that platform, but AI was pretending to be news,' he said. He said researchers also found more Canadians clicked and surfed websites of legitimate Canadian news organizations for election information this year than in previous elections. The news void was created by the Online News Act, which became law on June 22, 2023. It requires tech giants like Meta and Google to compensate journalism outlets for sharing their content. In August 2023, Meta described the legislation, Bill C-18, as 'unworkable' and ended news availability for Canadians on its platforms. Bridgman said it means on April 28, Canadians will have to vote in a federal election after facing an unprecedented online election news void. He said the content that rampantly replaced the void was not properly moderated by Meta. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'It feels 'Black Mirror'-esque, it feels dystopian,' Bridgman said, referencing the popular Netflix anthology show 'Black Mirror,' in which every episode presents a terrifying prediction of how technology could shape the future. 'Meta has somehow decided that this is OK.' Meta spokesperson Julia Perreira, in a statement, said the company makes a significant effort to help protect elections online. 'We have around 40,000 people working on safety and security issues globally at Meta, including 15,000 moderators who review content on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, with over $30 billion invested in teams and technology in this area over the last decade,' said Perreira. Perreira added Meta has also partnered with Elections Canada this year to ensure Canadians have accurate information about participating in the election. Bridgman said another trend MEO researchers observed in this election was the use of newer platforms like Bluesky and TikTok by politicians and voters. There were also distinctions between party candidates and supporters in how they used those platforms to engage in the current election. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'It's one of the most notable shifts in this election,' Bridgman said. There was slightly more engagement with Conservatives than Liberals on X and Instagram, while almost all political engagement on Bluesky goes to Liberal candidates, Bridgman said. The diverse use of platforms leads to distinct perceptions of the key issues in Canada and how the election is unfolding. Bridgman said the information divide could further fracture political discourse and increase polarization. 'I'm very concerned about the online information ecosystem,' he said. 'We're kind of in an interesting moment.' The MEO was created during the 2019 federal election campaign. It receives funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage as well as other foundations. Bridgman said this year, its researchers analyzed roughly 5,000 accounts across all social media platforms in the 2025 election campaign. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW They include Canadians and American influencers, politicians, podcasters, and Canadian news organizations who publish their content across various social media platforms. Platforms include YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky and Telegram. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2025. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
AI ‘Tsunami' hits Canadian election online, but voter impact limited
As Canadians head to the polls, a silent battle rages online, where artificial intelligence is crafting a new reality for voters. Despite its potential for manipulation, however, experts suggest its impact on the election remains surprisingly muted. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India pulled the plug on IWT when Pakistanis are fighting over water What makes this India-Pakistan standoff more dangerous than past ones The problem of Pakistan couldn't have come at a worse time for D-St "It feels 'Black Mirror'-esque, it feels dystopian," Aengus Bridgman, a researcher at the Media Ecosystem Observatory (MEO), said, describing the unprecedented wave of AI-generated content flooding Canada 's online election landscape. The MEO, tracking elections-related social media activity, has labeled this federal election campaign the most "dystopian" in Canadian history. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like A câmera de Segurança Mais moderna do Mercado por até 40% Off Alarme Verisure Ver oferta Undo "We don't have any evidence yet that Canadians are being manipulated or were convinced of things that are not true," Bridgman, also a McGill University professor, notes. However, he cautions, "This is absolutely a concern, and could occur, but it hasn't yet. There's just tons of generative AI content that we've seen." Live Events AI-generated content, including deepfake videos and memes, impersonated legitimate news sources to promote fraudulent investment schemes, and even repurposed Facebook buy and sell pages for political advocacy. "News is not available on that platform, but AI was pretending to be news," Bridgman explained. This digital manipulation filled the news vacuum created by the Online News Act, which forced Meta to block news content in Canada. "Meta has somehow decided that this is OK," Bridgman said, expressing concern over the platform's moderation. However, Meta spokesperson Julia Perreira countered, "We have around 40,000 people working on safety and security issues globally at Meta," highlighting their efforts to combat misinformation. Bridgman also noted a silver lining: Canadians are increasingly aware of online manipulation. "Canadians are much more aware of and concerned about, for example, foreign interference, the role of deepfakes and manipulated content online than previously," he observed. This awareness has led to increased engagement with legitimate Canadian news websites. The MEO's research also revealed distinct platform usage among political actors. "It's one of the most notable shifts in this election," Bridgman said, pointing to the rise of platforms like Bluesky and TikTok. He noted a partisan divide, with Liberals dominating Bluesky and Conservatives finding more traction on X and Instagram. This platform fragmentation, Bridgman warns, could exacerbate political polarization. "I'm very concerned about the online information ecosystem," he said. "We're kind of in an interesting moment." The MEO, funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage and other foundations, analyzed roughly 5,000 accounts across various social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, and Telegram, to understand the evolving digital landscape of Canadian politics.
Express Tribune
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Fake political content spikes in Canada ahead of federal election
Listen to article More than one in four Canadians has been exposed to fake political content on social media in the lead-up to the April 28 federal election, according to new research that warns of a sharp rise in online disinformation and fraud. A report released Friday by the Media Ecosystem Observatory (MEO) describes a 'dramatic acceleration' in misleading content, ranging from deepfake videos to scam investment ads masquerading as news articles. Researchers say much of the material is more sophisticated, more polarising, and harder for voters to detect than in previous elections. The study found a growing number of Facebook ads impersonating trusted news brands to promote fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. Many of these ads use fake headlines and doctored videos to trick users into clicking links leading to scam websites. 'This is not simply low-effort misinformation – it's highly produced, visually convincing, and engineered to look like legitimate political coverage,' said Aengus Bridgman, executive director of the MEO. 'We're seeing platforms flooded with content that targets both the political system and the public's trust in media.' The current election marks Canada's first national vote since Meta, Facebook's parent company, blocked Canadian news content across its platforms in response to the Online News Act (Bill C-18), which requires tech giants to compensate publishers for news content shared online. Despite the ban, more than half of Canadians still report receiving political information via Facebook, according to the research. 'Users often don't realise they're not consuming verified news,' Bridgman said. 'They might follow political memes, cultural commentary pages, or candidate posts and leave feeling informed – but that's not the same as receiving fact-checked reporting.' The report argues that the absence of credible news has created an opening for lower-quality, polarising, and fraudulent content to take hold. Among the most concerning trends, the report identified a series of deepfake videos falsely depicting Prime Minister Mark Carney endorsing a cryptocurrency investment programme. The clips, styled to mimic CBC or CTV news segments, contain fabricated interviews and false claims about new government policies. One widely circulated fake headline read: 'Mark Carney announces controversial retaliatory tariff plan in response to Trump's devastating tariff hikes this week'. The link led users to a scam site asking for personal financial information. Another Facebook page, named Money Mindset, purchased five French-language ads featuring a deepfake of Carney between 4 and 9 April. The ads ran for just a few hours but reportedly received up to 10,000 impressions, costing around C$1,000. 'These imposter ads and fake videos undermine the credibility of both the political leaders and the news organisations being mimicked,' the report stated. Canada's federal task force on Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (Site) confirmed that foreign interference remains a concern, particularly from China, Russia, and Iran. Last week, Site revealed an operation linked to China on the Chinese-language platform WeChat, though it concluded the activity did not have material influence. Instead, the report highlights that most of the disinformation originates from domestic sources focused on financial scams rather than electoral manipulation. 'These scams aren't necessarily designed to change votes,' Bridgman said. 'But they do erode public trust and further confuse the information environment at a critical time.' While Meta says such ads violate its policies and encourages users to report scams, researchers argue enforcement remains inconsistent. Many ads evade detection by not identifying themselves as political, which keeps them out of Meta's public ad library. 'This is the kind of content that would never pass broadcasting standards on TV,' said Bridgman. 'And yet Facebook serves these fake Carney ads to thousands of users across the country in the middle of a federal election. It feels dystopian.' Meta said it continues to invest in technology and enforcement tools to stop scams and impersonations, calling it an 'ongoing industry-wide challenge'. But researchers say more stringent oversight is needed, especially in the absence of reliable news content on major platforms. 'We've effectively handed the information space over to unregulated actors,' Bridgman said. 'And it's the public who pays the price.'
The Guardian
18-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Dramatic rise in fake political content on social media as Canada prepares to vote
More than a quarter of Canadians have been exposed to fake political content on social media that is 'more sophisticated and more politically polarizing' as the country prepares to vote in a federal election, researchers have found, warning that platforms must increase protections amid a 'dramatic acceleration' of online disinformation in the final weeks of the campaign. In a new report released on Friday, Canada's Media Ecosystem Observatory found a growing number of Facebook ads impersonating legitimate news sources were instead promoting fraudulent investment schemes, often involving cryptocurrency. Canada's federal election, on 28 April, is the first national vote in which Canadian news is not permitted to be shared on products owned by Meta, including Facebook and Instagram. The ban, which began in August 2023, is a result of a standoff between the tech giant and Ottawa over the Online News Act that forced intermediaries such as Meta and Google's parent company Alphabet to compensate journalism outlets for sharing their content. Meta described the legislation, Bill C-18 – passed on 18 June – as 'unworkable' and argued that the only way to comply with the law is to 'end news availability for people in Canada'. But media researchers found more than half of Canadians still say they get political news from Facebook, despite the platform's ban on news articles from reputable outlets. 'People using Facebook aren't often thinking, 'Am I reading the news?' But they leave feeling more informed politically, either from comments from friends or family, about the election. They might see a post from a candidate or follow cultural news aggregating types of accounts,' said Aengus Bridgman, executive director of the MEO. 'But we know this is not the same quality of information they might have accessed before the ban. The richest, densest and most accurate and factchecked information is not making it through any more. Neither is information that might contradict the views they hold. All of that just has been cut really – like, off at the knees.' Bridgman says that most of the content the team uncovered – including more than 40 Facebook pages promoting fraudulent ads, with new pages being created and identified every day – were meant to be humorous or ironic, instead of convincing. None of the content the team found is expected to sway the electorate. But Canada's Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (Site) is monitoring the election for disinformation and says it expects increased online political activity following the two closely-watched leaders debates. China, Russia and Iran remain the greatest threats to Canada's election, according to the taskforce. Last week, Site officials said they had found an information operation linked to China on Chinese-language social media platform WeChat, the popular news account Youli-Youmian. 'Foreign interference has been top of mind this election, with candidates bludgeoning each other on this issue. We monitor these platforms and our evaluation of that incident in particular doesn't feel as though it had any material influence or consequence,' said Bridgman. 'We don't think one WeChat channel posting a couple times about Canadian politics articles consistent with their editorial line amounts to foreign interference.' Instead, researchers have focused their attention on a series of scams that appear to be a continuation of a trend replicated in other countries, in which ads showing 'fake sensational political headlines' impersonate small business and personal accounts. Bridgman cautioned that the broader risk of deepfakes comes when a population is uninformed. 'If you've never heard about this person before, you cannot distinguish audio or video of them in compromising situations or making offensive remarks. And in the context of politics, we worry that with more unfamiliar candidates, the risk of convincing deep fakes escalates,' he said. Among posts examined by the team were seven deep fake videos falsely showing prime minister Mark Carney promoting the fraudulent investment platforms featured directly in the ads. These deepfakes typically mimic broadcasts by the CBC or CTV, two of the top news outlets in Canada. In one of those, the headline reads 'Mark Carney announces controversial retaliatory tariff plan in response to Trump's devastating tariff hikes this week'. The article shows Carney meeting with a top CBC news anchor and includes a purported transcript of an interview, in which he promises to send money to Canadians if they register for what purports to be a newly formed government programme. The link, however, brings users to a cryptocurrency scam. In another, a page called Money Mindset, which uses the logo of the CBC/Radio-Canada, bought five French-language Facebook ads that were active from one to four hours between 4 and 9 April. One of the ads, featuring a deep fake video of Mark Carney, cost US$300–$399 (about C$500) and received between five and six thousand impressions. In total, the five ads represent an investment of approximately C$1,000 and have received around 10,000 impressions. 'These imposter ads, fake news articles, and deepfake videos can undermine the credibility of both the targeted party leaders featured in the content and the news brands and journalists whose names, logos, or visual designs are being impersonated,' the report said. A spokesperson for Meta told the Guardian it was 'against our policies to run ads that try to scam or impersonate people or brands' adding the company encouraged people to report fraudulent content. 'This is an ongoing industry-wide challenge – scammers use every platform available to them and constantly adapt to evade enforcement. Our work in this area is never done, and we continue to invest in new technologies and methods to protect people on our platforms from scams.' But researchers say the response from tech companies 'appears to have been inconsistent and insufficient for preventing these ads from spreading' – pointing to the proliferation of ads in recent days. The observatory also found that since many of these ads do not self-disclose as political, they often do not appear in the Meta's ad library, which hampers the ability to assess the scope of the trend. 'Imagine that on TV there's an ad using clearly fraudulent content or is a deepfake. In what world would that be allowed? It would never get approved for use because of the advertising standards in this country,' said Bridgeman. 'And yet, Facebook runs these ads that get hundreds of thousands of views across the country and it's just a pure scam. In the midst of a federal election using an image of Carney and a fake CBC news website on a platform that bans the news – this feels like we're kind of in like a Black Mirror kind of moment. And what worries me is that it feels like people are just okay with this.'
Iraqi News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Meta news ban intensifying Canadians' legacy media break
Montreal – 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. For more than a year, social media giant Meta has cut access to news websites on its sites, rebuffing Canada's government over a law called the Online News Act and its requirement that platforms compensate journalism outlets for their content. Because of the quirks of how this blockage is applied, users can still find news content on Meta-owned platforms in screenshots, memes and videos, but sometimes lacking the context of traditional reporting. 'It's just not necessarily coming from those highest quality sources,' said Angus Lockhart of the Dais public policy think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University. With more people getting information from platforms, the ban appears to further undermine the role of traditional journalism in an election cycle. Aengus Bridgman, director of the Canadian Media Ecosystem Observatory, found users' engagement with content from news media was never strikingly high but said now, many lack even a peripheral exposure to outlets' coverage of current events. He said these shifts in consumption will lead to 'less and less broad understanding of politics and more and more hyper-focused issue orientations.' Other countries have seen similar declines in legacy media, but Chris Arsenault, chair of the journalism and communications program at the University of Western Ontario, said the ban is exacerbating the process in Canada. 'It's leading candidates themselves and often citizen journalists or influencers to spread their messages to voters directly on social media platforms,' he said. – Navigating the echo chamber – Jasmin Laine is a Manitoba-based content creator whose political commentary videos get hundreds of thousands of views on Instagram. She told AFP she found mainstream news to be overly critical of Canada's Conservative Party. 'Being transparent about my viewpoint doesn't mean I'm abandoning accuracy,' she said. Laine said users were looking for different angles to receive news heading into an election while she found traditional outlets were too quick to label alternative forms of media as misinformation. Toronto Metropolitan University's Lockhart said misinformation levels across platforms are not easy to track, but noted that a belief in false or misleading claims appears to be associated with a preference for social media as a news source. A reliance on political commentary from secondary sources 'increases the risk of existing in an echo chamber if someone else is filtering the news for you,' he said. Rachel Gilmore repackages her independent reporting into short-form videos and said she was encouraged to see mainstream news outlets utilizing YouTube and TikTok to reach voters with election updates. But she was still nervous about how news content on these platforms was sourced and fed to users. 'There's so many people out there who are delivering the news who might not necessarily be journalists — some of them are doing a great job. Some of them aren't and that's hard for Canadians to navigate,' she said. – Remove barriers – TikTok and X do not currently have obligations under the law which triggered Meta's news block, while Google paid out a multi-million dollar sum to a Canadian journalism fund this year. Meta's newest platform, Threads, does not appear to adhere to the ban, and some video content from news organizations and individual journalists also evades restrictions, particularly on Instagram. Christopher Curtis, founder of The Rover, which covers local issues in Quebec, recently started posting videos explaining his reporting — sometimes speaking while he practices boxing. 'We are letting them in on the reporting process and that we're finding really helps,' he said His award-winning outlet took an engagement hit after The Rover's account was blocked by Meta, but Curtis said the thousands of followers its contributors had accrued showed people are hungry for local coverage. Going into the election, Curtis said he hopes his reporting provides a contrast to more toxic, hyper-partisan content. 'Present a more nuanced, calmer, more interesting version of the truth and I sincerely believe that that's the antidote,' he said.
