🚨 MEO is moving 🚨 Follow @mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social for updates on our information ecosystem research! 🧵

Check out the latest article from Esli Chan (Doctoral Fellow at the Observatory) on the "Illusion of AI Companionship for Young Males" in @thetyee.ca! Read it here: tinyurl.com/2dmck2vd

This summer, David Suzuki received attention for his iPolitics interview titled: “‘It’s too late’: David Suzuki says the fight against climate change is lost.” This shift in tone led us to ask: Are Canadians Climate Doomers? @chrispyross.bsky.social 🧵

You can read "Are Canadians Climate Doomers?," by @chrispyross.bsky.social, here: tinyurl.com/29skan7u Chris Ross is a senior analyst for @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social. He has a MA in Political Science from McGill University.

This morning, MEO Director @abridgman.bsky.social is testifying on foreign election interference at The House of Commons' Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs #PROC Watch the livestream here: tinyurl.com/52u2s6f2

Après une année marquée par l'ascension de l'IA générative et l'impact croissant des influenceurs sur les chambres d’écho, nos chercheurs sonnent l'alerte : sans règles claires ni transparence des plateformes, la manipulation pourrait bientôt dépasser notre capacité de détection. 🧵

The #CharlieKirk shooting has sparked widespread debate about political violence. So, we surveyed Canadians to evaluate their perceptions of the event and political violence, comparing our results to U.S. data when available. Here's what we found 🧵 #cdnpoli #uspoli

I wrote about a really interesting study from @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social, which really made me think about how hard it is to define what an "influencer" is! A super interesting look at the growth of political commentary by social media influencers thetyee.ca/News/2025/11...

Canada has officially joined the UN's Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change! This announcement reflects our recent polling, which found that 82% of Canadians want Canada to participate in global efforts to strengthen information integrity online. 🧵

Influencers are the internet's new information brokers, setting the pace for political conversation that traditional outlets and organizations struggle to match. Our latest brief maps these creators' role in Canada's digital landscape between Jan. 2024–July 2025. 🧵 #cdnpoli

In September, online talk of Charlie Kirk's death spread far beyond the U.S. The CDMRN launched an incident response to study the spillover effects on Canada's information ecosystem. Here's how Canadians reacted on X. 🧵 #CharlieKirk #cdnpoli #media

Depuis le blocage des médias canadiens sur Facebook en 2023, des sites créés par l’intelligence artificielle se font passer pour des médias locaux et comblent l’absence de nouvelles sur la plateforme (@info.radio-canada.ca, @nicholasderosa.bsky.social et @jeffyates.bsky.social). 🧵

As Canada prepares for COP30, accurate climate information is more important than ever for effective climate action. The UN’s Global Initiative on Climate Change Information Integrity underscores that policy ambition cannot succeed without trustworthy information environments. 🧵

After the murder of Charlie Kirk, we declared an incident response to study the ripple effects in the Canadian information ecosystem. Today, MEO Survey Analyst Chris Ross shared why he's studying how Canadian social media users have responded to Kirk's death in @thetyee.ca

Presenting Attention: Govern or Be Governed. The internet was initially sold to us as a force for connection. And, for a time, it did just that. But, as platforms grew unchecked, the tools we built to bring us together began to pull us apart.

For the past decade, democracies have tried to build digital governance frameworks to balance innovation with accountability. But two seismic shifts have changed the game: The explosive rise of generative AI and a newly radicalized United States.

Now, we risk losing our information ecosystems and the democratic values they uphold to an unregulated tech oligopoly, and a U.S. government supporting it. This is a question of whether democracies can still govern in the digital age – or whether they’ll be governed by it.

From October 23-24, we're bringing some of the world's leading experts together for Attention: Govern or Be Governed to tackle these issues.

We're honoured to host an incredible lineup of speakers including @mariaressa.bsky.social, @yoshuabengio.bsky.social, Jim Balsillie, Beeban Kidron, @michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social, Frank McCourt, Cory Doctorow, Shoshanna Zuboff, Minister @evansolomon.bsky.social, @garymarcus.bsky.social, and others!

The best part? You get to join the conversation from wherever you are. We'll be sharing insights and highlights across our social media platforms both during and after the conference. Tune in for riveting conversations and behind-the-scenes footage.

Attention: Govern or Be Governed is presented by Paradigms, the Centre, @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social, the @maxbellschool.bsky.social, and @mcgill.ca, with media partner @thelogic.co, and support from the Max Bell Foundation, The Ronald S Roadburg Foundation, and the Walton's Trust.

🚨Our 2025 Federal Election report is here and it should serve as a warning for Canada to act now to protect future elections. Canada’s 2025 federal election upheld its integrity, but exposed a digital ecosystem under mounting strain. Read on to learn about our key findings 🧵

🚨 Information Incident Update: Kremlin Doppelgänger Tactics & the Exploitation of the Charlie Kirk Murder. Our latest update shows how the Kremlin weaponized Charlie Kirk’s assassination as part of a broader info warfare strategy.🧵 #CharlieKirk #Russia

We’re thrilled to welcome Anna Jahn as the new Executive Director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy at McGill University! 🎉

Read the full announcement here: tinyurl.com/4xc7wzbp

She will be leading the newly merged Centre for Media,Technology and Democracy, which will bring together the work of @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social and the Centre. We will continue building on both teams’ strengths to advance research and policy leadership.

🚨 Information Incident Notification: Ripple Effects of the Charlie Kirk Assassination in the Canadian Information Ecosystem. 🧵 #charliekirk #cdnpoli #uspoli

À la suite de la publication de notre rapport sur l’écosystème de l’information pendant les élections provinciales en Colombie-Britannique, @abridgman.bsky.social a discuté de la manipulation de l’information lors des élections de 2024 au micro de Rudy Desjardins. 🧵

CSDI is thrilled to announce the publication of our collaborative research with @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social studying the B.C. information environment during the 2024 provincial election! Read the full report ⬇️ meo.ca/work/british...

"The US is interfering with public debate in Greenland. Canada could be next." @marcuskolga.bsky.social (founder of CDMRN partner @disinfowatch.bsky.social) reports for @theglobeandmail.com 🧵 #cdnpoli #uspoli #Greenland

📣 Join our team! The Media Ecosystem Observatory is seeking part-time research assistants to help with collecting and analyzing qualitative data on the Canadian information ecosystem. 🧵

At Attention: Freedom, Interrupted, the panel "America as a Security Partner for Canada?" asked what Canada can expect from its closest ally in an uncertain security environment. 🧵 #foreignaffairs #cdnpoli #uspoli #partnerships #security

2025 marked Canada's first federal election since the Meta news ban came into effect in August 2023. Here's how it impacted Canadians 🧵 #cdnpoli #MetaNewsBan #election2025

Google's AI Overviews launched last year with notable blunders like a suggestion to apply pizza toppings with glue. While Google maintains their overall accuracy, experts say this technology is reshaping the internet as we know it. @anjakaradeglija.bsky.social reports for @cdnpress.bsky.social 🧵

It’s been 2 years since Meta blocked news on Facebook & Instagram in Canada. Here’s what you need to know🧵 #metanewsban #cdnpoli #onlinenewsact

Exciting news from our CDMRN partners at @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social 📣 Our final report on the 2024 BC election is coming soon!

Information manipulation is on the rise. Here's a look at why we launched the Election Monitoring and Response initiative during the 45th federal election. #election #cdnpoli

🚨AI-generated YouTube news channels pushed false information to Canadians about election fraud & Alberta separatism. Check out the new @dfrlab.bsky.social investigation here: tinyurl.com/4kkptk2t #cdnpoli #canadianelection #Alberta

🚨 Our latest report, What Should the CBC Be? is out now! The conclusion is clear: Canadians want CBC/Radio-Canada to continue, but it must evolve to remain relevant and trusted. Here's a sneak peek at the report 🧵

Troubling times lie ahead for Canada's information ecosystem if nothing is done, but for MEO director @abridgman.bsky.social, course correction is always possible. MEO's full report on the 45th federal election is coming soon! Follow us for more updates! #cdnpoli 🎥 CPAC

What’s weakening Canada’s information ecosystem, and what does it mean for our democracy? @abridgman.bsky.social presented new findings from @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social on disinformation, polarization, and media trust in the wake of the 2025 election.

ICYMI: The YouTubers behind Northern Perspective claim they were offered "extra income" from an individual with alleged ties to a sanctioned Russian entity. They reported the suspicious email to the RCMP immediately. 🧵 #cdnpoli #Russia #influencers

Looking forward to the 2025 Canadian Vote Summit, where MEO director @abridgman.bsky.social will be speaking on Foreign Interference during the 2025 Federal Election 🇨🇦 Stay tuned for more updates on May 21st!

THANK YOU for your 230+ submissions to our Digital Threat Tipline during the election! Your vigilance helped us assess 36 incidents tied to misinformation, foreign influence & more. The tipline stays open, and our work continues: www.cdmrn.ca/digital-thre... #CdnPoli #InfoIntegrity #DigitalThreats

WEEKLY UPDATE: WEEK 6 OF CANADA’S 45TH FEDERAL ELECTION🚨 We open this final weekly update with 6 key reflections from our research team on the 2025 Canadian federal election. These are preliminary impressions—our full post-election report will offer deeper insight. 🧵

Canadians are being flooded with rightwing disinfo on X ahead of the election. Aengus Bridgman warns of "mass amounts" of US-sourced misinformation as concerns rise about the role of social media in distorting Canada's democratic process: shorturl.at/Hnliv

AI-powered disinformation is flooding the 2025 election, with deepfakes and fake news posing real threats to democracy. Jennie Phillips says the spread is like a virus, and Canadians must fight it before it takes hold: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

In Canada, news has quietly disappeared from social media, and most people don’t even realize it. @abridgman.bsky.social warns we're "sleepwalking" into a less informed, more polarized democracy. Listen on The Intelligence from @economist.com : shows.acast.com/d556eb54-616...

In a high-stake federal election, accurate campaign information is essential, and the line between what's real and what isn't is blurry. @spaikin.bsky.social asks @taylorowen.bsky.social (@meo-cdmrn.bsky.social @mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social) how vulnerable Canadian voters are to disinformation?

WEEKLY UPDATE: WEEK 5 OF CANADA’S 45TH FEDERAL ELECTION🚨 With Election Day on April 28, here’s a breakdown of what Canadians are seeing, saying, and sharing online this campaign season.👇