Centre For Disinformation Studies

What We Do Not Account For When Legislating Against Disinformation

In recent years, there have been increased calls for the Canadian government to introduce legislation against disinformation. Tighter laws have been requested in an attempt to reduce the digital flow of deliberately false information in Canadian political discourse around controversies like vaccines, especially during elections. For one, in 2022, Canada’s chief electoral officer Stéphane Perrault Read More…

Centre For Disinformation Studies

Disinformation and Public Health in the Post-Pandemic Era: What COVID-19 Taught Canada and NATO About Resilience

The COVID-19 global pandemic was both a public-health crisis and a catalyst for an infodemic: the flood of misinformation and disinformation that spread as rapidly, if not more rapidly, than the virus itself. A systematic review by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that this infodemic undermined compliance with health measures, fragmented social cohesion, and Read More…

Centre For Disinformation Studies

The Culture of Distrust: : How AI Disinformation Exploits Polarization and Democracy

The voice on the line sounded like the President of the United States. It carried his cadence, his gravel, even his familiar pauses. But the words were strange. “Save your vote for the November ballot,” it told thousands of citizens in New Hampshire ahead of the 2024 primary. In reality, the call was orchestrated by Read More…

Centre For Disinformation Studies

Canada at the Crossroads: Disinformation as a Domestic Security Challenge

Canada’s greatest security risk may not lie at its borders but in its news feeds. That might sound like a dramatic statement, yet the danger is not abstract. It lives in the information Canadians scroll past each day, in the stories they share, and in the narratives that seep in unnoticed. In a country that Read More…

Esha Grewal Women in Security

When democracies censor: Alberta’s book ban and its contradiction with NATO’s mission to defend democratic principles

Alberta’s latest directive on books has turned heads nationally. But what does it mean for Canadian security? In this article, author Esha Grewal discusses how Alberta’s book ban is a part of the larger, growing trend of divisive policies among NATO countries that threaten social cohesion.

Centre For Disinformation Studies

Canadian Youth at the Intersection of Politics, NATO, and Disinformation

Many young Canadians today are encountering political narratives when scrolling through social media without ever opening a news site or turning on the television. These platforms, while sources of entertainment, are shaping how youth view politics, international institutions, and Canada’s role in the world. According to Statistics Canada, social media is the most common outlet Read More…

Amila Sadic Cyber Security and Emerging Threats

How state-sponsored cyber strategies are undermining Canada and the west

Cyberspace has become the new realm for battles to be waged, where state/non-state-sponsored groups are exploiting cyber vulnerabilities to control critical state sectors. Cyberattacks have escalated beyond espionage and financial theft to actions that constitute acts of war, endangering national and global security. Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon, People’s Republic of China (PRC) sponsored cybergroups, Read More…

NATO and Canada

Arctic Sovereignty through Airborne Surveillance: Canada’s Acquisition of Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Systems

While Canada’s military is often seen as a strong and modern fighting force, it also lacks many assets that are key to ensuring defensive capabilities, including Northern surveillance. Canadian ambitions to acquire Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft will revolutionize Northern intelligence gathering in order to bolster NORAD’s effectiveness and Canadian sovereignty. The Canadian Read More…

Security, Trade and the Economy

Vaccine Nationalism and COVID-19: Lessons for Future Pandemics

Harvard epidemiologist Caroline Buckee has warned that another pandemic is “just a matter of time.” The question is whether Canada and its allies will be better prepared when the next global health crisis arrives. One of the clearest failures of the global response to COVID-19 was the scramble for vaccines. In 2020, Canada lacked domestic Read More…

Security, Trade and the Economy

Sanctions and Security: Costs of Canada’s Global Credibility

When Canada sanctions Russia, it’s about defending peace and security. When Canada sanctions Russia, it’s also about your bill at the gas pump and how Ottawa allocates your tax dollars. In 2025, Ottawa faces a strategic triangle: enforcing sanctions to uphold NATO and trans-atlantic unity, funding growing defence commitments, and keeping life affordable for Canadians. Read More…