We’re living in an age of information—and disinformation.
Social media was supposed to bring people together, but instead it’s being weaponized to divide us. Algorithms are designed to amplify outrage, and it’s hard to tell truth from conspiracy.
With a federal election looming, the stakes have never been higher. Canada’s democracy is under attack. Disinformation divides our communities, erodes public trust, and makes it harder for voters to make informed choices.
When people tell lies infrequently, their bodies register a physiological response. Blood pressure rises and heart rates go up, as do stress hormones. Parts of the body exhibit increased perspiration. But tell lies frequently, and these symptoms begin to decrease. Something comparable happens to people who are the victims of lying. At first they are shocked and offended. But, if they are subjected to frequent lies, the reaction begins to subside.
Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh slammed the federal Conservatives on Wednesday for spreading falsehoods that left his party’s natural resources critic facing death threats and homophobic slurs.
Earlier this week, Canada’s National Observer reported that NDP MP Charlie Angus had been “inundated” by calls from people — mostly men — threatening and insulting him for tabling a bill to rein in misleading advertising by the fossil fuel industry. If successful, Bill C-372 would prohibit oil and gas companies from marketing their products as a solution to climate change.
The Conservative party’s campaign video “The Interview” is essentially character assassination. The plot for this attack on Justin Trudeau’s competence was lifted from an old NDP attack ad (“Job Interview”) against the former leader of Manitoba’s Conservatives. The similarities between the two videos starts with their titles and finishes with their closing lines. The Conservative pr people added some new touches. Ignoring the fact Trudeau was a math teacher, the actors portray him as financially inept. They also make the ludicrous remark that the Prime Minister’s office is not an entry level job. (Trudeau was raised in a very political family, has been an MP since 2007 and Leader of the Liberal party since 2013.) Despite this, a fairly large number of Canadians appear to be deceived by this propaganda piece. Max Cameron from the department of political science at UBC explained why voters readily accept misinformation.
