A warning has been issued concerning the information available to Canadians and the upcoming election. In an interview with The Guardian, the Executive Director of the Media Ecosystem Observatory, Aengus Bridgman, lashed out at what he termed a “dramatic surge of fake political content” sweeping social media. This surge in misleading content is becoming a significant concern regarding the information reliability available to voters.
Social Media’s Part in the Void of Information
Bridgman’s problems are compounded by the current information environment in Canada, particularly concerning Meta. He noted that even after Meta’s decision to block Canadian news content from being shared on its platforms, a significant proportion of Canadians remain dependently glued to Facebook while seeking political information.
More than 50% of Canadians seek political content on Facebook, as noted by Bridgman. Voters who rely on Facebook now face an unprecedented flood of deceptive content, such as fake headlines, misleading advertisements, and even sophisticated deepfake videos designed to deceive.The fertile environment for misinformation and scams permeating these platforms is fueled by the unavailability of reliable news sources, as well as user behavior.
Fraud
Bridgman’s research shows the methods employed by people who create and disseminate phony content are fake. One such striking observation is that some of the messages and ads are impersonating reputable people and institutions deliberately. The branding and image of news agencies are appropriated so that their fake stories can pass as genuine.
Moreover, some of the fraudulent materials have political figures like Mark Carney, who is a well-known economist, impersonating them. The impersonation techniques seek to advance all sorts of damaging impersonation, from financial swindling to politically motivated lies. Using well-known brands and faces enhances the chances that users who do not know better will engage with the false content, exacerbating online deception during a crucial election period.
Appeal for Action by the Platforms
Bridgman says that not being able to access useful information about voters directly increases gaps for deception to dominate as the primary source of information.
Lack of accessible, trustworthy news makes voters more vulnerable to fake headlines, deepfakes, and fraudulent advertisements. This poses a threat to the electoral process, as citizens cannot truly participate in elections based on accurate information. Bridgman acknowledges this increasing issue and explicitly calls out social media platforms, especially Meta, to enforce better, more coherent policies to handle such threats. This strongly puts forth the responsibility these platforms have of controlling the disinformation crisis that can disrupt democracy and the electorate’s informed decision-making processes during elections.
