Latest news with #MediaEcosystemObservatory
CBC
26-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Have TikTok content creators influenced the Canadian election?
According to research from McGill's Media Ecosystem Observatory published in March 2025, TikTok was being used more than ever for news and politics in 2024. CBC's Ashley Fraser unpacks what the 'for you' page looks like for those searching for election content.
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! 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Winnipeg Free Press
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘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. '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. '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. '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. '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.' During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. 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. 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.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'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. "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. "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. "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. "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. 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. Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press
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.'
