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Your all-access pass to the people and events shaping Canada’s democracy

CPAC launches explainers on disinformation and democracy on International Democracy Day

September 13, 2024—Ottawa—To commemorate International Democracy Day on September 15, the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) is unveiling 20 new short-form video explainers that address the critical issue of disinformation and its impact on democracy.
01:58:00

Disinformation and Democracy

Detecting Disinformation for Democracy

Analysts, academics, journalists, activists, and politicians assess the effect of disinformation on our democracy. Experts studying mis-and disinformation share their insights on the impact and spread of disinformation, and its potential amplification through social media and the use of artificial intelligence. The special also looks at how to establish guardrails and find solutions to counter the negative effects of disinformation, with an emphasis on the role of media and citizen engagement.
00:03:35

Disinformation and Democracy

What should Canadians know about AI and the law?

Jake Okechukwu Effoduh, assistant professor at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law of Toronto Metropolitan University, on the legal implications of AI.
00:03:10

Disinformation and Democracy

How to help young people detect disinformation?

Specialists weigh in on how younger generations can access tools to detect disinformation.
00:07:30

Disinformation and Democracy

How might AI affect an election?

More than two billion people will vote in 2024, according to the World Economic Forum. This leads to growing concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in the electoral process. Karim Bardeesy, Executive Director of the Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University and Taylor Owen, Founding Director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy at McGill University, describe how AI can contribute to the proliferation of disinformation during an election.
00:04:00

Disinformation and Democracy

What challenges do fact-checkers face in the age of misinformation ?

Editor-in-Chief of Digital Investigation at Agence France-Presse, Grégoire Lemarchand, discusses his job and the challenges he and his team face when reporting fake news.
00:04:05

Disinformation and Democracy

What is digital resilience and how to build it?

Concerned with its Russian neighbour, Estonia has introduced tools for its citizens to combat the threat of disinformation. The Secretary General of Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jonatan Vseviov, outlines how his government is equipping Estonians with digital resilience. Taylor Owen, Professor at McGill University’s Max Bell School of Public Policy, also advocates for digital literacy to be taught at a younger age.
00:04:25

Disinformation and Democracy

What are Big Tech companies doing to counter cyberbullying and online harms?

We ask TikTok’s Steve de Eyre, Google’s Jeanette Patell, Meta’s Kevin Chan and X’s Wilfredo Fernandez how their respective companies are addressing cyberbullying and online harms on their social media platforms.
00:04:10

Disinformation and Democracy

Where are Canadians getting their news?

We ask several experts what they think of Canada's actions in the battle against disinformation. In this video: - Anthony Housefather, Liberal MP - Alistair MacGregor, NDP MP - Emily Laidlaw, Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity Law and Associate Professor of Law - Taylor Owen, Founding Director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy at McGill University - Marcus Kolga, Founder and Director, DisinfoWatch
00:03:00

Disinformation and Democracy

Why are we susceptible to misinformation?

Ève Beaudin, Vice-President of the Centre québécois d’éducation aux médias et à l’information, explains how cognitive biases can contribute to the consumption of misleading content.
00:02:50

Disinformation and Democracy

Where are Canadians getting their news?

Canadians are getting their news from more diverse sources than ever before, according to a recent CPAC-commissioned Abacus Data poll. We look at these numbers with the CEO of Abacus Data, David Coletto.
00:04:10

Disinformation and Democracy

What are other countries doing to counter disinformation?

Jonatan Vseviov and James P. Rubin, respectively Secretary General of Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy and Coordinator of the U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center, share how their countries are fighting the spread of disinformation. Marcus Kolga, Founder and Director of DisinfoWatch, describes how Finland and Sweden are tackling this threat.
00:02:50

Disinformation and Democracy

What is Elections Canada doing to counter disinformation?

Elections Canada spokesperson Matthew McKenna outlines how the organization aims to prevent the spread of disinformation during federal elections.
00:04:54

Disinformation and Democracy

How is big tech addressing disinformation?

We ask Meta’s Kevin Chan, TikTok’s Steve de Eyre, X’s Wilfredo Fernandez and Google’s Jeanette Patell, how their respective companies are addressing disinformation on their social media platforms. Data engineer and whistleblower Frances Haugen shares her ideas about what those companies could do to counter online harms.
00:03:15

Disinformation and Democracy

What can be done to prevent the spread of misinformation?

Camille François, professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), suggests several approaches that governments, organizations, and citizens could take to curb the spread of misinformation.
00:04:15

Disinformation and Democracy

Who are the Main Propagators of Disinformation?

Some individuals and groups spread disinformation for ideological reasons to discredit others, to promote extremist views, to create doubt about scientific facts, to promote bogus products or to get money through fake ads or scams. We discuss those occurrences with: - James Rubin, Special Envoy and Coordinator at the U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center - Ambassador Tim Roemer, Former U.S. Democratic congressman, Co-Chair Issue One - Liberal MP Anthony Housefather
00:03:24

Disinformation and Democracy

How to Tell the Difference between Real and AI-generated Content?

It can sometimes be difficult to detect AI-generated content. We ask specialists Craig Silverman (ProPublica), Stephanie Burnett (Reuters), Eliot Higgins (Bellingcat) and Marianna Spring (BBC) how to differentiate real and fake content.
00:03:10

Disinformation and Democracy

What Is Artificial Intelligence?

The use of artificial intelligence is growing rapidly worldwide. But what is AI precisely? Specialists answer this question and discuss possible uses and risks. (no interpretation)
00:03:25

Disinformation and Democracy

What is the Difference Between Misinformation and Disinformation?

Disinformation and misinformation can be seen as interchangeable concepts, but what differentiates them is the intent. Find out more about the two concepts in this video explainer. (no interpretation)
00:02:48

Disinformation and Democracy

What Can Be Done in Canada to Curb Disinformation?

Forty-six percent of Canadians consider disinformation as “a major threat to democracy”, according to a recent CPAC-commissioned Abacus Data poll. As part of our ‘Detecting Disinformation for Democracy’ special, we asked experts what can be done to help Canadians identify disinformation and prevent the erosion of trust in our institutions. (no interpretation)