More than a quarter ofCanadianshave been exposed to fake political content on social media that is “more sophisticated and more politically polarizing” as the country prepares to vote in a federal election, researchers have found, warning that platforms must increase protections amid a “dramatic acceleration” of online disinformation in the final weeks of the campaign.In a new report released on Friday, Canada’s Media Ecosystem Observatory found a growing number of Facebook ads impersonating legitimate news sources were instead promoting fraudulent investment schemes, often involving cryptocurrency.Canada’s federal election, on 28 April, is the first national vote in which Canadian news is not permitted to be shared on products owned by Meta, including Facebook and Instagram. Theban, which began in August 2023, is a result of a standoff between the tech giant and Ottawa over the Online News Act that forced intermediaries such as Meta and Google’s parent company Alphabet to compensate journalism outlets for sharing their content. Meta described the legislation, Bill C-18 – passed on 18 June – as “unworkable” and argued that the only way to comply with the law is to “end news availability for people in Canada”.Canada elections: who are the key players and what is at stake?Read moreBut media researchers found more than half of Canadians still say they get political news from Facebook, despite the platform’s ban on news articles from reputable outlets.“People using Facebook aren’t often thinking, ‘Am I reading the news?’ But they leave feeling more informed politically, either from comments from friends or family, about the election. They might see a post from a candidate or follow cultural news aggregating types of accounts,” said Aengus Bridgman, the executive director of the MEO.“But we know this is not the same quality of information they might have accessed before the ban. The richest, densest and most accurate and factchecked information is not making it through any more. Neither is information that might contradict the views they hold. All of that just has been cut really – like, off at the knees.”Bridgman says that most of the content the team uncovered – including more than 40 Facebook pages promoting fraudulent ads, with new pages being created and identified every day – were meant to be humorous or ironic, instead of convincing. None of the content the team found is expected to sway the electorate.But Canada’s Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (Site) is monitoring the election for disinformation and says it expects increased online political activity following the two closely-watched leaders debates. China, Russia and Iran remain the greatest threats to Canada’s election, according to the taskforce.Last week, Site officials said they had found an information operation linked to China on Chinese-language social media platform WeChat, the popular news account Youli-Youmian.“Foreign interference has been top of mind this election, with candidates bludgeoning each other on this issue. We monitor these platforms and our evaluation of that incident in particular doesn’t feel as though it had any material influence or consequence,” said Bridgman.“We don’t think one WeChat channel posting a couple times about Canadian politics articles consistent with their editorial line amounts to foreign interference.”Instead, researchers have focused their attention on a series of scams that appear to be a continuation of a trend replicated in other countries, in which ads showing “fake sensational political headlines” impersonate small business and personal accounts.View image in fullscreenA piece of fake political content on social media.Photograph: XBridgman cautioned that the broader risk of deepfakes comes when a population is uninformed. “If you’ve never heard about this person before, you cannot distinguish audio or video of them in compromising situations or making offensive remarks. And in the context of politics, we worry that with more unfamiliar candidates, the risk of convincing deep fakes escalates,” he said.Among posts examined by the team were seven deep fake videos falsely showing prime ministerMark Carneypromoting the fraudulent investment platforms featured directly in the ads. These deepfakes typically mimic broadcasts by the CBC or CTV, two of the top news outlets in Canada.In one of those, the headline reads “Mark Carney announces controversial retaliatory tariff plan in response to Trump’s devastating tariff hikes this week”. The article shows Carney meeting with a top CBC news anchor and includes a purported transcript of an interview, in which he promises to send money to Canadians if they register for what purports to be a newly formed government programme. The link, however, brings users to a cryptocurrency scam.In another, a page called Money Mindset, which uses the logo of the CBC/Radio-Canada, bought five French-language Facebook ads that were active from one to four hours between 4 and 9 April. One of the ads, featuring a deep fake video of Carney, cost US$300–$399 (about C$500) and received between five and six thousand impressions. In total, the five ads represent an investment of approximately C$1,000 and have received around 10,000 impressions.“These imposter ads, fake news articles, and deepfake videos can undermine the credibility of both the targeted party leaders featured in the content and the news brands and journalists whose names, logos, or visual designs are being impersonated,” the report said.A spokesperson forMetatold the Guardian it was “against our policies to run ads that try to scam or impersonate people or brands” adding the company encouraged people to report fraudulent content.“This is an ongoing industry-wide challenge – scammers use every platform available to them and constantly adapt to evade enforcement. Our work in this area is never done, and we continue to invest in new technologies and methods to protect people on our platforms from scams.”‘We’re going to stand up to Trump,’ says Mark Carney in second Canadian election debateRead moreBut researchers say the response from tech companies “appears to have been inconsistent and insufficient for preventing these ads from spreading” – pointing to the proliferation of ads in recent days. The observatory also found that since many of these ads do not self-disclose as political, they often do not appear in the Meta’s ad library, which hampers the ability to assess the scope of the trend.“Imagine that on TV there’s an ad using clearly fraudulent content or is a deepfake. In what world would that be allowed? It would never get approved for use because of the advertising standards in this country,” said Bridgeman.“And yet, Facebook runs these ads that get hundreds of thousands of views across the country and it’s just a pure scam. In the midst of a federal election using an image of Carney and a fake CBC news website on a platform that bans the news – this feels like we’re kind of in like a Black Mirror kind of moment. And what worries me is that it feels like people are just okay with this.”
Dramatic rise in fake political content on social media as Canada prepares to vote
TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:
"Increase in Fake Political Content on Social Media as Canada Approaches Federal Election"
The Guardian
7.3
TruthLens AI Summary
A recent report by Canada’s Media Ecosystem Observatory has revealed that more than a quarter of Canadians have encountered fake political content on social media, particularly as the country approaches its federal election on April 28. The report highlights a troubling increase in sophisticated and politically polarizing disinformation, with many Facebook ads masquerading as legitimate news sources while promoting fraudulent investment schemes, particularly in cryptocurrency. This election marks the first national vote in Canada where news from Canadian outlets is banned on platforms owned by Meta, including Facebook and Instagram. This ban stems from a conflict between Meta and the Canadian government over the Online News Act, which mandates that tech companies compensate journalism outlets for sharing their content. Despite the ban, over half of Canadians continue to seek political news on Facebook, often unaware of the compromised quality of information they are receiving. Researchers note that the absence of credible news sources has left voters reliant on less accurate data, which may reinforce existing biases and prevent exposure to diverse viewpoints.
The report also underscores the risks of deepfake technology in the political landscape, particularly as unfamiliar candidates emerge. Instances of deepfake videos featuring Prime Minister Mark Carney have been identified, where these misleading clips falsely attribute endorsements of fraudulent investment platforms to him. Such misleading content not only threatens the integrity of political figures but also undermines the credibility of established news organizations whose identities are co-opted. While Meta has stated its policies prohibit fraudulent ads and encourages reporting of such content, researchers argue that the company’s response has been inadequate, allowing the proliferation of deceptive ads to continue unchecked. The observatory’s findings indicate that the technology used to combat these scams has not kept pace with the evolving tactics of scammers, raising significant concerns about the impact of disinformation on the electoral process in Canada. Experts warn that without effective safeguards, the risk of misinformation could escalate further as the election date approaches.
TruthLens AI Analysis
The article highlights a concerning trend regarding the rise of fake political content on social media platforms in Canada as the nation gears up for its federal election. This increase in disinformation poses significant risks to the electoral process and public trust in information sources. Researchers indicate that over a quarter of Canadians have encountered misleading political content, which is becoming increasingly sophisticated and polarizing. This scenario is compounded by a recent ban on sharing Canadian news by Meta, which has affected the quality of political information available to the public.
Rising Disinformation and Public Perception
The findings from Canada's Media Ecosystem Observatory suggest that many Canadians remain unaware of the potential pitfalls of obtaining political news through platforms like Facebook. Despite the ban on reputable news articles, over half of Canadians still rely on Facebook for political updates. This raises concerns about the quality of information that citizens are consuming, which is likely to be less accurate than before. The article implies that there is a significant gap between the perceived and actual reliability of political information accessed through social media.
Impact of the Meta News Ban
The ban on Canadian news sharing by Meta stems from a conflict between the company and the Canadian government over the Online News Act, which requires tech companies to compensate news outlets for shared content. As a result, the public has limited access to verified news, leaving them more vulnerable to misinformation. This situation may exacerbate the spread of false narratives, further polarizing political opinions among the electorate.
Potential Manipulation and Hidden Agendas
The emphasis on the rise of disinformation may serve a dual purpose. On one hand, it raises awareness about the dangers of misinformation; on the other hand, it could be manipulating public sentiment against social media companies or the Canadian government. The article does not explore alternative narratives, which could suggest a bias in framing the issue. There is a possibility that the report intends to encourage regulatory responses from the government or demands for better accountability from tech giants.
Market and Political Implications
The growing prevalence of disinformation can have broader implications for politics and the economy. If voters cannot trust the information they receive, this could lead to voter apathy or misguided decisions, ultimately affecting the outcome of elections. Furthermore, companies that rely on stable political environments may experience volatility in their stock prices as public trust erodes.
Community Support and Target Audience
This article likely resonates more with communities concerned about media integrity, democracy, and the influence of technology on politics. It targets individuals who are politically active or interested in the integrity of information sources, potentially rallying them to seek more reliable news platforms.
Global Context and Current Relevance
In the context of global politics, the article underscores the ongoing struggle between regulatory authorities and tech platforms. The implications of misinformation are not confined to Canada; they resonate with global electoral processes and the challenges of maintaining informed electorates in the digital age. The situation reflects a broader concern about the role of technology in shaping public discourse.
Use of AI in Article Composition
While the article doesn’t explicitly state the use of AI, it’s plausible that AI models may have been employed in research or data analysis for the report. The presentation of statistics and trends reflects a structured approach often facilitated by AI tools in media analysis. However, the language and framing choices suggest human editorial oversight, indicating that AI may have supplemented rather than dictated the content. The reliability of this article appears to be moderate. While it cites a credible source (Canada’s Media Ecosystem Observatory) and raises pertinent issues, the potential for bias in framing and the lack of counterarguments weaken its objectivity. The focus on disinformation is critical, but the article could benefit from a broader exploration of the topic, including solutions or alternative perspectives.