Special report
Trump rallies his digital army for the next information war
The 'Social Media Summit' was designed to celebrate conspiracy theorists, extremists and disinformation agents who helped Trump turn social media into a battleground in 2016.
Last week in disinformation
An edited video of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G20 summit, a scandal-plagued robocall firm implicated in a mysterious mass text-messaging campaign, signs of foreign interference and more.
Is Canada prepared for an invasion of weaponized bots?
Bots already pose a significant threat to democracies around the world. But what we've seen thus far is nothing compared to what could see in the future — and I fear that if we don't prepare ourselves now, we will be left defenseless in the face of automated digital armies waging war on the human mind.
Allegations against Portland antifa latest effort by far-right activists to vilify the antifascist movement
Far-right activists descend on Portland weekly and usually bring violence, including a very notable killing in May 2017. Local antifascists come out to defend minority communities and other vulnerable people. National media usually overlook the context and keep falling for the far-right narrative. Here's how a disinformation campaign went mainstream.
Caroline Orr's weekly round-up on disinformation, regulation, and manipulation
This week's news includes new policies from Twitter to regulate political advertising and combat hateful content, as well as a controversy involving a doctored photo of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a mysterious mass text-messaging campaign targeting Ontario voters, and a co-ordinated effort to manipulate online public opinion polls.
Conservatives: Don't read into darker-skinned Trudeau image
Criticism swirled on social media after the Conservatives posted a graphic that featured the prime minister's face, with darker skin, edited onto a photo of an oil worker.
Social-media researcher warns Canadians: "We're being attacked"
Canada's political conversations on Twitter are overrun by bots and other inauthentic activity, according to a leading social-media researcher, who warns that the activity being detected may be "the canary in the coal mine" when it comes to online manipulation.
Lisa Raitt explains that tweet about climate change
The deputy Conservative leader shared an article denying there's a link between climate change and extreme weather, then deleted it after a scientist responded. In an interview with National Observer, she says she believes in climate change and reducing emissions.
Keeping a wary eye on the transnational extreme right during election 2019
While we worry about Russian meddling, a transnational extreme right movement operates online with the goal of influencing mainstream political debate.
Scientist gets apology in climate change defamation battle
Renowned climate scientist Michael E. Mann got an apology Friday from a think tank that published an interview attacking his reputation. In the fight against climate disinformation, experts like him are turning to new arenas.
That viral video of Raptors fans cheering an injury? It's fake
When the video was first circulated by the blog Barstool Sports, the site's editor seemed to coyly acknowledge that it was a fake. But, joke or not, it led plenty of people to express outrage on social media.
Hate groups mix with yellow vests on 'front line' of extremism in Canada
At least two known hate groups made their way into a gathering of yellow vest protesters in Hamilton, Ont., on Saturday, underscoring what some describe as a disturbing trend that places the industrial city on the "front line" of extremist activity in Canada.
A viral claim about who's killing MMIWG is wrong
A claim that Indigenous men kill 70 per cent of MMIWG was picked up by white nationalist Faith Goldy and a former editor-in-chief of the Walrus. It wasn't true.
Fact checking Kenney and Trudeau's comments about carbon taxes and wildfires
On Friday, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said the causes of wildfires are "complex" and carbon taxes won't stop them. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the wildfires and other extreme weather show why governments need to act on pricing pollution and taking other measures. Who's right?
EXCLUSIVE: Canadian Facebook page weaponized Islamophobia behind facade of 'news'
From videos hyping the fictitious threat of creeping Sharia law in Canada to posts warning that Muslims would take over Canada and destroy the country if they weren't stopped, this so-called "news network" was actually much more like the website of a hate group than a news organization. Facebook removed the page after a National Observer investigation.