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Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday June 26, 2019

Get ready for disinformation in election season

Were you among the Ontarians who received a text this weekend asking if you agree the federal carbon tax needs to be scrapped?

If so, you’re in good company. We don’t know how many got the text, purporting to be from Sue with a group called Ontario Strong. Could be a few hundred, could be thousands.

If you responded, chances are you were used. Indications are this was an attempt to identify anti-carbon tax voters so they can be lobbied in the coming election.

What’s wrong with that? For one thing that declaration wasn’t made. There was no attributing information on the text other than Ontario Strong. The group is little known and no credible political or lobbying group wants to be identified as being involved. There is no contact information. No information as to what Ontario Strong is about.

Speculation is that it is tied somehow to conservative interests that want to see the Trudeau Liberals defeated. But the usual suspects deny involvement.

Welcome to the summer election campaign. It may not be official yet, but it’s real nonetheless. And there is every reason to believe fake news and trickery like this will become more and more common in the weeks and months leading up to the formal campaign.

There are rules regulating this sort of shady political advocacy. After June 30 anyone spending more than $500 is supposed to register with Elections Canada as a third party lobbyist, adhere to stated spending limits and disclose who they are, what they stand for and, eventually, where they get their money.

Well established lobby groups — Shaping Canada’s Future is one on the conservative side while Engage Canada is on the other side — will follow the rules. But many others, some little more than a zealot in his basement and others with more sophisticated infrastructure, probably won’t. And their messages will be out there. On social media. On quickly assembled websites. In texts and emails.

CBC journalists and researchers at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab recently reported on how a disinformation campaign, which is believed to have originated in Iran, tried to get Canadian media outlets to amplify fake news. It worked in at least one case.

Reuters reported a fake story which said that six Arab countries had asked FIFA to prevent Qatar from hosting the 2022 World Cup. Global News picked up the story and gave it new legs with a national audience. Global later corrected the story.

The Iranian scammers also tried to drum up attention for a fake story claiming the CIA had backed a failed coup in Turkey.

Canadians, including thousands of Twitter users, were among the targets of this disinformation. While the subjects involved may not be relevant to average citizens, they will become more so as the election campaigns ramps up.

Politically motivated misinformation and fake news are not some distant threat. Like climate change, they’re happening right here and now. Just as we’re seeing first hand what damage climate change can bring, we’re seeing fake news in action. Our only protection is education and awareness. (Hamilton Spectator) 

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UPDATE: Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay – Monday March 24, 2025

The 2025 Canadian election faces unprecedented foreign interference threats, notably from the US, leveraging social media to manipulate voter sentiment.

The Looming Threat of Foreign Interference in Canada’s 2025 Election

As Canada prepares for its 2025 federal election, an unsettling cloud of foreign interference casts a shadow over what should be a democratic process free from external manipulation. Historically, Canada has been vigilant about interference from the usual suspects such as China, Russia, and other state actors. However, the current landscape demands that we broaden our focus to include new, unexpected sources of potential disruption.

Recent discussions and reports have raised alarms about the possibility of interference from an unlikely but powerful source: our neighbours to the south. Under President Donald Trump, the United States has not shied away from using its influence to sway public opinion and political outcomes in other countries. Trump’s administration has made no secret of its ambitions to bring Canada closer, even as far as making it the so-called “51st state.”

News: The U.S. has covertly destabilized nations. With Canada, it’s being done in public

The manipulation does not stop at political rhetoric. With tech moguls like Elon Musk at the helm of platforms like X, and Meta’s pervasive reach, the means to disseminate misinformation and influence Canadian voters are unprecedented. These platforms have become tools for amplifying divisive messages and shaping political narratives in ways that could undermine the electoral process.

The potential for manipulation via social media is a significant concern. Platforms can target young and economically vulnerable Canadians, swaying them with promises of economic stability under American influence, a tactic that has been hinted at in recent intelligence reports. With Musk’s known political leanings and the Trump administration’s aggressive stance, the risk of a coordinated effort to destabilize Canada’s election is high.

This is not just speculation. Reader comments and public discussions reflect a growing awareness and anxiety about the influence of American politics on Canada’s democratic process. The fear is not unfounded, as seen in the fallout from Trump’s reverse endorsement tactics, which have already impacted Canadian political dynamics.

A cartoon from 2019, once a quaint depiction of the dangers of disinformation, seems almost naive compared to the sophisticated and potentially devastating interference we face today. The stakes are higher, the tactics more insidious, and the potential consequences more severe.

Opinion: Trump and Poilievre’s Fake Carney Endorsement Just Nuked Pierre’s Campaign

As we approach the election, it is imperative for Canadian voters to remain vigilant. Awareness and scepticism are our first lines of defence against foreign manipulation. We must demand transparency from our leaders and accountability from the platforms that shape our public discourse.

The integrity of our election and the future of our democracy depend on our ability to recognize and resist these foreign influences. Canada must stand firm, informed, and resilient against the tide of interference that threatens the core of our democratic values.

This editorial cartoon was originally published June 26, 2019