🤖 Cyborg propaganda? Tech companies are looking for new methods of circumventing digital platform rules and election laws in order to shape election discourse, and sometimes that means bringing humans into the loop. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/02/24/i...

“The idea that you would give your contact book information to a party without the consent of the people in your address book is deeply problematic." @cjten.bsky.social discusses AI-powered political campaign tools via @nationalobserver.com

How do vaccine and climate debates unfold online, and how can social scientists study them at scale? Join Johanna Klapproth, Mark Shakespear, @lauraknelson.bsky.social, and @cjten.bsky.social to discuss research strategies and how they can inform real-world policy. www.eventbrite.ca/e/computatio...

⚠️NEW EVENT! Join @e4dca.bsky.social for an expert panel discussion on how the rapid spread of misinformation has undermined public trust and affected sectors and communities across Canada, and what can be done to combat it. 🧵More info and rego link here: evidencefordemocracy.ca/webinar-the-...

Join Thorsten Quandt, Johanna Klapproth, and Heidi Tworek as they discuss how digital platforms and politics shape polarized online discourse, using case studies of vaccine debates in Germany and Canada. This event is organized by the Bridge Resource Consortium. www.eventbrite.com/e/navigating...

We’re thrilled that The Security of Self: A Human-Centric Approach to Cybersecurity is out, just in time for some holiday reading! The book’s contributors—including CSDI directors @cjten.bsky.social and @heiditworek.bsky.social—put people at the centre of understanding and advancing cybersecurity.

As G7 ministers gathered in Montreal last week, CSDI director @heiditworek.bsky.social spoke to The Canadian Press about the areas of agreement and tension on AI, digital regulation, and governance. www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/science/mont...

The EU should promote tech innovation through regulatory ambition, not surrender, argues Milan Wiertz. Check out the latest article by Wiertz, a policy analyst and CSDI researcher, on @techpolicypress.bsky.social www.techpolicy.press/europes-digi...

Recent CSDI post-doctoral fellow Marco Zenone found that millions of dollars are spent on online Ozempic pay-per-click ads, with 11% of the ad keywords promoting weight loss—an ‘off-label’ and unapproved use of the drug. Could this be a drug advertising loophole? jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

ICYMI: Check out this new policy brief @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social on how universities can address online harassment of #researchers and #faculty. The brief reviews best practices and offers recommendations on how institutions can provide support. #HigherEd 📝 Read here: bridgerc.ca/online-haras...

Congratulations to the Committee on this major report. Lots of good ideas in here to strengthen democracy in BC. Thanks to chairs @j-blatherwick-mla.bsky.social and @mla-wardstamer.bsky.social, and all the other committee members and staff. I hope people check it out! lims.leg.bc.ca/pcms/file/19...

"Canada cannot prepare for future public health emergencies without protecting the safety of researchers and their freedom to pursue their lines of inquiry without fear." Further insight on online harassment and our latest policy brief in @ca.theconversation.com theconversation.com/online-haras...

🌟 Today, we launch our latest policy brief 'How Universities Can Better Address Online Harassment'. The brief reviews international best practices for institutions to support researchers facing abuse. democracy.ubc.ca/publications...

Want to learn how to best turn climate policy discussions into climate action? Join CSDI and the UBC Sustainability Hub on November 18th for a practical workshop on policy communications, with focus on writing op-eds. Details and registration ⬇️ www.eventbrite.ca/e/effective-...

⚠️On September 10, the CSDI and the Electoral Integrity Project co-hosted the Technology and the Future of Democracy conference – bringing together over 80 attendees from academia, civil society, and policy practice. 🧵Read more below! democracy.ubc.ca/news/technol... democracy.ubc.ca/news/stress-...

"Policymakers must ensure human judgement - not algorithms - remains central in life-and-death decisions". 💭 CSDI's Nishtha Gupta explores the implications of AI adoption for Canada's defence strategy in @policyoptions.irpp.org. 🧵https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2025/09/ai-defence-spending/

@heiditworek.bsky.social discusses the undulation of communication technologies and their ability to both attract and oppose the energy of globalization in @globaldiscnct.bsky.social's recent volume. Find Heidi's chapter and the entire open-access collection: www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...

🎧 Looking for a great audio interview? CSDI Director @heiditworek.bsky.social spoke to KKFI Radio about the modern communication landscape, what we can learn from media trends of the past, and much more. kkfi.org/program-epis...

We are delighted to welcome our @apsa.bsky.social colleagues to Vancouver this week! Today, CSDI is co-convening a pre-APSA conference on Technology and the Future of Democracy, including tabletop exercises simulating election threats and responses. www.electoralintegrityproject.com/vancouver-20...

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...

Dr. Chris Tenove (@cjten.bsky.social @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social) said the Trump administration is a "major counterforce" in international efforts to regulate online harm. via @cdnpress.bsky.social

Congratulations to @marcozenone.bsky.social on joining the @uottawa.ca as an Assistant Professor. His scholarship greatly enriched CSDI’s work, and we thank him for being a valued member of our community. Looking forward to future collaborations and to more of his great research!

Loneliness is a serious public health issue that has worsened amongst young people. CSDI Postdoctoral Fellow @marcozenone.bsky.social's recent research analyzes the role TikTok plays as a forum for expressing loneliness and how modern isolation is portrayed online. academic.oup.com/heapro/artic...

Google says AI Overviews “highlight the web” rather than replace it. But Cameron Pattison, Vance Ricks & John P. Wihbey see potentially profound political, social, and economic impacts. It's an open question if AI-powered search will be a tool for enlightenment or a mechanism for epistemic capture.

🎉Congratulations to CSDI Director @heiditworek.bsky.social, who was recently elected as a fellow of the @royalhistsoc.org! RHS is an international community of historians working to promote an understanding of history. 👏We're proud of Heidi and her ongoing advocacy! 🔗Learn more: royalhistsoc.org

⚠️@heiditworek.bsky.social and @cjten.bsky.social recently presented to the BC Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform - using research from collaboration with @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social. @maxcameron.bsky.social, former CSDI Director, also testified. 🔗See more: www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentar...

Research Assistant Spotlight: Social media manipulation has become a recurring concern in modern elections. Former CSDI research assistant Milan Wiertz discusses where this trend could lead in @techpolicypress.bsky.social www.techpolicy.press/online-elect...

@heiditworek.bsky.social features in a @financialtimes.com article breaking down the surge in online abuse of women business leaders and what can be done to address the special threat' from trolls online. Read here: www.ft.com/content/3190...

Canada’s digital sovereignty (or lack thereof) is a growing concern. @heiditworek.bsky.social and @lageneralista.ca argue that to build an independent tech 'CanStack', policymakers need to start with a full assessment of the information ecosystem. www.cigionline.org/articles/how...

Learnings from the past are often the best way to understand the issues of the present. Historian and CSDI Director @heiditworek.bsky.social discusses the not-so-novel nature of disinformation and how we can build trust in our current moment. www.arts.ubc.ca/news/how-to-...

⚠️ Event Announcement! Have People Stopped Listening to Expertise? 🔬Join Lars Thorup Larsen from @au.dk for a discussion about the erosion of trust in established science and what that might mean for liberal democracy. ✍️RSVP via QR code or at sppga.ubc.ca/events!

⚠️How can policymakers and civil society combat climate disinformation and misinformation in our information ecosystems? 🌍International Panel on the Information Environment report on new global trends: www.ipie.info/research/sr2... 🇨🇦CSDI report on local approaches: democracy.ubc.ca/publications...

🇨🇦As Canada forges new AI policy, read the CSDI's 'Harmful Hallucinations: Generative AI and Elections' report to understand how AI challenges our elections and information systems. 🗞️Analysis by @Anja Karadeglija: www.stalbertgazette.com/science-news... 🔗Report: democracy.ubc.ca/publications...

CSDI's @Marco Zenone and the University of Alberta's @ Alessandro Marcon highlight the dangerous increase of exploitative ads promoting alternative cancer treatments. 📖Learn more in the @ca.theconversation.com : theconversation.com/google-searc...

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.

CSDI looks forward to joining the Partnering in Research Conference and leading the 'Transformative Approaches to Protecting Researchers and Communities from Online Harassment' workshop on June 12th. Read more about the session and the conference program: communityengagement.ubc.ca/events/2025-...

@heiditworek.bsky.social and @lageneralista.ca argue that we should think about a public option for social media. Read more about why and what that could look like! www.hilltimes.com/story/2025/0...

What happens when war moves from borders to feeds? In a new piece for @thediplomat.com , CSDI's Nishtha Gupta (@krantinari.bsky.social) traces the digital fallout of the India-Pakistan crisis—from misinfo & algorithmic rage to performative nationalism. 📖 Read: thediplomat.com/2025/05/when...

Are our democracies built for the 21st century? Six UBC experts, including CSDI’s Chris Tenove, provide their perspectives on the challenges facing modern democracies and the grievances that may tempt citizens to question our traditional institutions. magazine.alumni.ubc.ca/2025/spring-...

A new Conservative email claims Liberals are “tipping the scales.” CSDI’s Chris Tenove (@cjten.bsky.social) tells CBC this kind of rhetoric risks fueling distrust—even as most Canadians still trust the results. 🔗 Read: www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

🇨🇦 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚. As voters head to the polls, CSDI’s Heidi Tworek (@heiditworek.bsky.social) and Chris Tenove (@cjten.bsky.social) have been helping Canadians make sense of the risks to our democracy — from misinformation to foreign interference. 🧵⬇️

🗳️ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 — 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 From deepfakes to disinfo, here’s what our partners are uncovering about the digital environment as Canadians head to the polls. 🧵 Dive in and support this important research from across our network.

🇨🇦 As Canadians head to the polls, concerns about foreign interference and election fraud are rising. CSDI researchers have been closely tracking these narratives throughout the campaign. Here’s a roundup of our recent contributions: 🧵⬇️

🇨🇦 Voter distrust is rising as disinfo clouds Canada’s 2025 election. Chris Tenove (@cjten.bsky.social) unpacks what’s behind it—from pencil conspiracies to foreign interference hype. Based on new research b/w CSDI and CDMRN.

As youth voting returns to campuses, so do the challenges of navigating election info online. CSDI’s Heidi Tworek (@heiditworek.bsky.social) speaks to CBC about how misinformation on private messaging apps is shaping Canada’s information environment. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

🗳️🇨🇦 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚’𝐬 𝐅𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 New threats—from disinfo campaigns to crypto ads—are challenging election integrity. How can we respond? CSDI’s Heidi Tworek & Chris Tenove break it down for The Conversation (@theconversation.com) 🔗 Read: theconversation.com/foreign-inte...

📸 Scenes from the in-person launch of “Municipal Matters!” We had an incredible conversation on how local governments can drive meaningful climate action while navigating misinformation and building public trust. 🔗 Read the full report: democracy.ubc.ca/featured/mun...

Missed the launch of our new report, Municipal Matters? Watch it here! The CSDI team was joined by special guests Amber Bennett (Re.Climate) and Rosalind Donald (American University) to discuss paths forward for local governments facing climate change misinformation. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow7R...

We had a great virtual launch for “Municipal Matters: Building Capacity for Local Climate Conversations” — exploring how local govts can drive climate action despite misinformation and polarization. Missed it? Join us for the in-person launch tomorrow! 🔗 Register here: democracy.ubc.ca/events/

Local governments play a key role in climate action—but today’s complex info landscape makes it harder to develop and implement effective policies. 🌍🏙️🪴 CSDI’s new report, “𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬” explores the path forward. 🔗 𝑭𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝑹𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕: democracy.ubc.ca/featured/mun...