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…
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…
There is an apocryphal quotation commonly attributed to Vladimir Lenin, that, “There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.” This apposite reflection on the uneven velocity of historical change could have been written of the new, narrow epoch the Atlantic Community finds itself in at the current moment. Only five Read More…
In his speech at the Munich Security Conference on February 15, 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated: “we’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic.” Social media platforms are flooded with false information, half-truths, and conspiracy theories, all of which shaped the online environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This, coupled with post-truth politics, Read More…
Nearly forty years on and faced with another public health threat, what is the legacy of HIV/AIDS-related disinformation? In this article, Jack Burnham discusses the parallels between the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 health crises and the proliferation of health-related disinformation during a time of great power competition.
Do media literacy classes offer an effective policy solution to disinformation? In this article, Jack Burnham discusses the rise of media literacy classes in the US and Canada and their impact on countering the effects of deliberate falsehoods on young people.
What threat does the “Freedom Convoy” continue to pose to Canada? In this article, Jack Burnham discusses protests in Ottawa and the role of disinformation in stoking and radicalizing grievance politics.
As targeted social media campaigns work in support of political movements in China’s strategic and political goals, how is social media becoming a new NATO battlefield?
We hosted a virtual discussion with H.E. Martin Harvey, High Commissioner of New Zealand to Canada on July 28th! You can watch the recording of the event here. The discussion focused on Canada-New Zealand relations, security interests, transpacific relations and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also touched upon many other interesting subjects! Read More…
Darryl Rigby, Content Executive at the Immigration Advice Service, explores the societal risks posed by current proposals for vaccine passports.