Canada’s ability to counter the “urgent” threat of Russian disinformation is falling increasingly behind the rapidly growing spread of such malicious online activity, a new Senate committee report warns, calling for a whole-of-society response and additional government action.
The report released Thursday by the Senate committee on national defence and security comes after a years-long study dating back to the previous Parliament, which left senators “convinced that Russia’s disinformation poses an urgent threat to Canada’s national security, democratic institutions and social cohesion.”
“Russia’s disinformation has been growing and evolving at a rapid pace,” the report says.
“The Government of Canada has been making efforts to address disinformation. However, the extent of Russia’s disinformation exceeds Canada’s current capacity to address it effectively.”
The report says the rise of generative artificial intelligence and the ability for disinformation to spread unregulated across social media have further enabled Canadians to be exposed to Russian false narratives.
Of particular concern is the spread of content aimed at weakening support for Ukraine and NATO, as well as disinformation targeting Canadian military and political figures. Polarization and violent extremism against Ukrainian and minority communities have grown as a result, witnesses said.
“Canadians’ exposure to Russia’s disinformation is significant,” the report concluded, with witnesses presenting data suggesting a majority of Canadians encounter pro-Kremlin messaging online.
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“In the view of witnesses, Russia’s global disinformation efforts also affect Canada by destabilizing the liberal international order and undermining democracy.”
The report outlines 10 recommendations, including crafting a whole-of-government approach to address Russia’s disinformation that includes a strategic plan and annual reports to Parliament.
Any national security strategy released between now and the next election must also address and outline responses to Russian disinformation “that are effective, comprehensive and coordinated.”
The committee also calls for the development and funding of a whole-of-society approach to addressing all disinformation, including from Russia, that involves provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous governments, along with community groups, civil society organizations and the private sector.
Other recommendations include enhanced public transparency on Russian disinformation campaigns targeting Canada, new measures and financing for entities dedicated to addressing anti-Ukraine content, and an independent expert panel that would review Canada’s approach to addressing disinformation.
The report also urges Ottawa to “continue to develop and implement strategies to use artificial intelligence-based tools to monitor, detect, analyze and respond to foreign disinformation.”
CSIS says Russian disinformation remains a threat
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The Senate report’s findings were backed up Friday by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s annual report, which said Russian disinformation and misinformation has been a key foreign interference threat since 2022.
“Hostile Russian state actors, and those working on their behalf, have carried out several information and malign influence operations against Canada, exploiting various contentious social topics aimed at discrediting the Government of Canada’s position on Ukraine by polarizing segments of both political and public spectrums,” the report said.
“CSIS continues to identify, investigate, and reduce Russia’s adaptive and sophisticated disinformation methods in support of the Government of Canada’s broader efforts to protect Canadians against the harmful effects of misinformation and hostile disinformation campaigns.”
The report said CSIS has also continued to identify Russian intelligence community members engaged in espionage and attempted sabotage activities and “disrupt their efforts” alongside foreign allied partners, calling Russia’s activities “a direct threat to the security of Canada” and NATO partners.
“Mitigations can range from denying certain actors’ entry into Canada to working with foreign partners to undermine the activities of Russian agents operating in Europe and elsewhere,” it said.
CSIS further noted that Russia considers Canada a “legitimate target” for its “adaptive and sophisticated threat activities” due to Canadian support for Ukraine and its membership within NATO.
“Russia is likely to continue engaging in hostile behaviour for the foreseeable future,” the report says.
zero trust me too i was a real patriot i would have died for this land and its people now i dont care if it exists. sad oh well gooo carney
No need for Russian disinformation mongers when there are so many disgruntled Freedumb Clownvoy members still hanging around doing their job for them, trying to discredit Canada’s duly elected Federal government. If your pitiful Conservatives are so great, why can’t they win an election? It aint for lack of trying.
So Russia spends relatively little money attempting to discredit both sides of the aisle and sow discourse but China engages in actual election tampering to help Liberals win and we’re supposed to forget all about that.
Look over here its Russia again. Canada is great we are building stong and fast. This man and his government are complete phonies.
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Global news the disinformation king!
Why do those two women billed as AI experts look like teenage runway models? Are their AI certifications available for review?
Funny as I trust Putin over Carney, Trudeau, NATO too. The disinformation is coming from prostituted media. I miss believing in Canada 🇨🇦
Canadian media is taxpayers funded by liberals 5 billion plus annually propaganda lie.
China was bigger security threat and Carney/Brookfield is in bed with China and allowing it into Canada.
I’m more concerned about all the disinformation coming from Carney and the Liberals.
The Russians have been used as a boogeyman to smokescreen all the liberal and democrat crime and fraud for over 10 years now. It’s getting old.
Plus, who cares what the senate thinks. They’re not even elected.
The entire world is under assault from Russia’s disinformation campaign it’s mind boggling that our leaders aren’t doing anything about it.
I am more concerned about the Liberal Government and Canadian Media disinformation campaign myself. This affects everything we do!
im pretty sure they woujd call me russian disinformation because i dont support never ending money for Zielinski and his cronies. with kick backs to people here ofcourse. wink wink brookfeild. gooo carney
URGENT, 8 years ago & now URGENT…REALLY, ?????
“In the view of witnesses, Russia’s global disinformation efforts also affect Canada by destabilizing the liberal international order and undermining democracy.”
It appears the new world order who are now the old world order have renamed themselves the “Liberal International order”.
I don’t put myself in a position to receive commie disinformation. What I am concerned with is all the liberal nonsense being pushed by our tax dollar subsidized media. Alberta, strong & free!
Not a word about the biggest threat to our national security and our democracy, China. I guess we are best buds now with the CCP even though they continue to undermine our democracy and gain more influence with the Carney Liberals.