Detecting and reporting disinformation

Disinformation is false information that is deliberately intended to mislead. During this election, it is even more important for people living in Canada to be resilient to disinformation

Disinformation is false information that is deliberately intended to mislead. Once a disinformation narrative is introduced into the information ecosystem, the goal is for it to be spread virally and unwittingly by others.

Disinformation is a constantly evolving threat that affects all democracies and impacts all parts of society in different ways. Countering disinformation is a global issue and requires a response from all areas of society—governments, industry, independent election administrators, civil society and citizens.

Disinformation can damage each of these by attacking, polarizing, and misinforming people. At its worst, disinformation can lead to hate, violence and political harassment. Disinformation is also used by foreign states seeking to threaten the integrity of our elections, attack our sovereignty and undermine confidence in the results.

During this election, it is even more important for people living in Canada to be resilient to disinformation. Everyone is susceptible to disinformation. Think critically about the information you consume and take steps to make sure the information that you share is accurate and reliable.

Disinformation can be hard to spot. Look for content that: