In October 2025, Digital Public Square held the Polarization in the Public Square Conference, an opportunity for civil society, academia, and government to come together to explore solutions to the growing problem of political and social polarization in Canada.

68% of Canadians who identify as ethnically Chinese worry that reports of foreign interference could fuel anti-Asian racism. Our research shows that fear of backlash can weaken community engagement on one of Canada’s most urgent national security issues: transnational repression.

Is there a relationship between young Canadians’ trust in generative AI technology, declining trust in democratic institutions, and the spread of genAI-powered mis/disinformation?

We are glad to announce our final judge for Hack the Divide! Emily Traynor Mayrand is an expert in the downstream impacts of polarization. Her experience spans academia, the practitioner space, and government, providing great perspective on the theory of change and impact potential of projects.

We are excited to announce our second judge for Hack the Divide. Charles Finley is a civic leader with great experience launching and advising organizations for social impact. Charles will provide teams with feedback on impact potential and inclusivity.

Hack the Divide is less than a month away and we are thrilled to start announcing our esteemed panel of judges! Ahmed Khalifa is our “builder” who will provide rich feedback on the creativity and execution of projects.

Transnational repression—when governments reach beyond their borders to coerce, intimidate, or harm critics and members of their diasporas—is a growing problem in Canada. We identified three steps that Canada can take to fight back against transnational repression and protect targeted communities.

We are excited to share the official event link for Hack the Divide! It's a free virtual hackathon on solutions for our polarized society. It will be hosted on September 26-28th. Sign up as an individual, or as a team! Stay tuned as we announce the great speakers and workshops in the coming weeks!

How do you imagine AI? AImagine is a personality quiz that explores the deeper, more polarizing beliefs behind how people see AI. Read more in our newsletter. Built using data from the Global Dialogues Challenge by @cip.org. open.substack.com/pub/dpsorg/p...

Foreign interference was in the headlines throughout Canada's recent election. But what was the actual impact? Here's how we can better understand the problem: open.substack.com/pub/dpsorg/p...

Canada's federal election is over, but misinformation about the results persists. In our latest Election Watch, we look at vote rigging hoaxes that have gained traction in the aftermath of the election. open.substack.com/pub/dpsorg/p...

In our latest Election Watch, we look at violent and extremist narratives on election day in Canada. While Canada avoided election-related violence, harmful narratives and misinformation continue to grow in online spaces. Read more here:

In our latest Election Watch newsletter, @digitalpublicsquare.org and @revontuletintel.bsky.social look at rising anti-South Asian sentiment and implications for social cohesion in Canada. Read and subscribe! open.substack.com/pub/dpsorg/p...

Read the MEO election update for deep dive analysis on the online environment and threats, then check out CanadaIsTalking.com to see how we are engaging with Canadians about election integrity – a key issue highlighted in this update.

What happens before and after you vote should be important to every Canadian. Play CanadaIsTalking.com to share your views on voting and election results in Canada, or tell us what you think in the comments. #election2025 #cdnpoli

Our latest release, CanadaIsTalking.com, challenges your knowledge about how our democracy works. Do you know all the correct answers? #election2025 #cdnpoli

With election season in full swing, we created a set of tip sheets with best practices to protect yourself and your community from disinformation, transnational repression, and electoral interference. See what you can do here: www.digitalpublicsquare.org/insights/how...

Are you interested in the election? Click dpsorg.substack.com to read our Election Watch series. Or play CanadaIsTalking.com, where you can share your perspective on democracy in Canada. #election2025 #cdnpoli

"We’re talking about direct personal harm" Cheuk Kwan, Co-Chair of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China, lays out the most critical impacts of transnational repression.

"I was in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen massacre" Cheuk Kwan, Co-Chair of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China, has a history of protest and advocacy.

"If you're out here in Canada causing trouble.. you better watch out" Cheuk Kwan, Co-Chair of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China, speaks about transnational repression against people in Canada.

In our latest Election Watch newsletter, @digitalpublicsquare.org and @revontuletintel.bsky.social look at misinformation narratives surrounding Mark Carney's election as Liberal Party Leader and their implications for democracy in Canada. Read and subscribe! open.substack.com/pub/dpsorg/p...

"Your passport doesn’t matter" Cheuk Kwan, Co-Chair of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China, shares his own experience of oppression.

"Our government has... stronger law enforcement to... detect (cyber attacks)" Lihsin Liu, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, speaks about the countermeasures taken to counter foreign interference in Taiwan.

"They are afraid of being coerced economically if they publicly support our events" Lihsin Liu, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, talks about the ways that transnational repression restricts freedoms.

"Cognitive warfare (is used to) influence our society and change our voter behaviour" Lihsin Liu, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, describes Taiwan's efforts to counter electoral interference.

"A dire situation that Uyghur's are experiencing every day in Canada and elsewhere" @mehmettohti.bsky.social, Executive Director of Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project, explains what transnational repression means to him and his community.

"1% of the population, 25% of incarceration" @mehmettohti.bsky.social, Executive Director of Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project, shares some sobering stats.

"...And even I don't know if they have graves" @mehmettohti.bsky.social, Executive Director of Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project, speaks on the horrors inflicted on his family in China.

“We want justice (…) without persecuting the other”

“If you are silent … we’ll (let you) come and see your grandparents”

DisinfoWatch has partnered with @digitalpublicsquare.org to publish this guide to help Canadians detect and protect themselves against foreign information and influence operations during the federal election and beyond: disinfowatch.org/handbook-for...

Announcing a new DPS newsletter! We’re releasing Election Watch reports examining online narratives that fuel extremism, violence, and polarization heading into Canada's federal election. First is a topic dominating discussions—Canada as the 51st state. dpsorg.substack.com/p/election-w...

What does foreign interference look like? Recognize the tactics.

Protect yourself from online harrassment and transnational repression. Know the 4 steps.

Every year, millions of people are forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, and human rights violations. Unfortunately for many asylum seekers, the dangers they experience know no borders — reaching all the way to democratic nations like Canada.

Some forms of foreign interference are more subtle than others, but that doesn’t mean they’re less effective. With another general election coming soon, it is imperative that we protect ourselves from potential misinformation campaigns. (1/2)

You’re at school and your home country’s politics come up. You want to share your experience with your classmates… But you stay silent You don’t know who else might be listening.

Activists consulted for our project noted that direct threats against them and their families were used to intimidate and control their communities.

In our 2024 survey we heard 28% of immigrant respondents say their families back home faced harassment or covert threats from foreign governments. (1/3)

Imagine this — you’re sitting at home after a protest and receive a phone call. “We’re watching you,” says the voice on the other line. The caller is with the police in your home country, meaning both you and your family are in danger. (1/3)

You’ve escaped your home country, but the harassment hasn’t stopped — late night phone calls, threats against your family… (1/4)

Recently, Hong Kong activists have shared stories of bystanders taking close-up headshot photos of protestors. In a recent survey, 45% of respondents (all Canadian activists) reported frequent harassment from the Chinese government — including threats, violence, and surveillance.

This week, Digital Public Square is concluding our FIRE campaign. A year of research, consultations, and development have led to our visual article, where you can read about the experiences of people facing transnational repression. Follow @digitalpublicsquare.org to see the rollout.

In recent years, the Chinese government has used transnational repression tactics, including threats, violence, and more, to silence its critics. Have you been impacted? We’d like to hear from you! To share your story securely, visit the fire.digitalpublicsquare.org and click "The Record"

Chinese, Hong Kong, Tibetan, Uyghur, and Taiwanese diasporas in Canada have experienced harassment and intimidation from the Chinese government. To learn more, find resources, and share your story, go to fire.digitalpublicsquare.org/

NEW REPORT: How can we engage positively with people who support political violence? We explored gamification, empathetic spaces, and interactive data presentations to test different routes for affecting attitude and knowledge shifts. Read more here: www.digitalpublicsquare.org/insights/eva...

The normalization of political violence in Canada—especially among young people—is alarming. As we head into a divisive election season, we can expect to see an increase in extreme content online. We need to understand the factors driving extremism to effectively confront it.

We are encouraged to see the Hogue report recognizing the chilling effect that transnational repression has on social cohesion in Canada. Our research highlights the pervasive impacts of digital repression on communities in Canada, which stretch beyond partisan battles over influence.

Following the foreign interference inquiry, Canada can become an international leader in addressing foreign interference as it assumes the G7 presidency for 2025. If you believe global coordination is needed, get in touch and help us build an international coalition.