Since social media is the most prominent medium for disinformation campaigns aimed at Western audiences, Thomas Turmel examines the reasons behind this conscious choice made by foreign actors that reaches Canadians right in their homes.
Centre For Disinformation Studies
The Centre for Disinformation Studies (CDS) is a nonpartisan research and public outreach wing of the NATO Association of Canada, created in April 2019. The goal of the CDS is to facilitate engagement between academics, government, and the public on the topic of disinformation or ‘fake news’. Although disinformation has long been an aspect of human communication, new technologies and a changing international landscape have pushed the idea of disinformation into public awareness in unprecedented ways. The spread of disinformation in recent years has been facilitated by the proliferation of online social networks and digital information-sharing platforms. These new technologies have eroded public trust in conventional sources of information and have helped spread skepticism towards science, academia, and democratic institutions.
The Centre for Disinformation Studies has two main objectives. The first is to provide an interdisciplinary platform for scholars from across the country and beyond to share and discuss research relating to the study of disinformation. The second objective of the CDS is to help disseminate academic research on disinformation to the public in an accessible and engaging manner. By directly engaging the public and helping to bridge the gap between academic research and societal perceptions, the CDS aims to improve the public’s ability to engage critically with information spread through new digital technologies. The CDS also works to strengthen Canadians’ cultural resiliency towards misleading information or conspiracy theories by providing resources to help the public navigate an increasingly confusing information landscape.
Russian Disinformation and Social Movements: An Explosive Cocktail
With increasing foreign influence on social media, Thomas Turmel examines how Russia tries to influence social movements to pursue its political objectives and how to protect against this undue influence.
The Future of Warfare: Security Implications of Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDTs)
What are emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs) and how will they affect the future of warfare? In this article, Neven Vincic explores the concept of EDTs and their potential to revolutionize the international security environment and the nature of warfare in the coming decades.
What Constitutes Fake News in Hong Kong
Between March and October of 2020, 17 countries passed new laws aimed at stifling the spread of online misinformation. Citing the increasingly contentious pandemic-related content as a primary justification, multiple governments and distinctly authoritarian regimes cracked down on critics and limited individual expression under the pretense of maintaining social stability. Hong Kong is keen to Read More…
Hong Kong’s Illiberal Education Reform
Julian Snelling examines the recent Hong Kong reform of the Liberal Studies curriculum, analyzing the extent to which such policy limits freedom of expression amongst an increasingly politicized generation in the region.
‘The Kids Are Alright’: How Young Journalists Find Ways to Report on Social Issues in Russia
In this article, Maria Zelenova examines how Russian independent journalists have been able to adapt under harsh censorship laws, creating a new ecosystem for reporting on important stories.
The Third Realm: Closed-Circuit Information Censorship in China
Julian Snelling assesses the increasing presence of the Party in China’s “third realm,” aiming to comprehend the extent to which information dissemination constitutes not just top-down control but individual self-censorship.
A Harmonious Mirage?: Information Control in Modern China
In this article, Julian Snelling examines the tangible results of citizen calls for legal reform in China to assess the extent to which these successes are simply the consequence of a “propaganda as policy” governance framework.
QAnon and the Tale of America’s Subjective Reality
The rise of conspiracy theory communities on the Internet… And in American politics Conspiracy theories are not a new phenomenon. However, in today’s digital environment, their role and importance has drastically changed. While these movements were previously mainly confined to obscure and secluded forums of the Internet, they now proliferate and flourish anywhere from Twitter Read More…
Should Canada adopt an anti-“fake news” law?
Examining anti-“fake news” laws in East and Southeast Asia, Cassidy Bereskin weighs Canada’s options in legislating against disinformation.