The COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have more in common than you might think: rampant disinformation and misinformation are making deadly situations worse. Fake video messages from world leaders show how fragile our views on reality can be, as demonstrated by Kyle Hiebert. CIGI’s Big Tech episode on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast traces growing distrust of experts. Heidi Tworek detailed how online spaces are also being used for extremist fundraising.
Election interference from social bots and other digital tools to disseminate disinformation has also become a major issue internationally. In partnership with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Canada, CIGI’s Aaron Shull and Wesley Wark led a research project that recommended ways to counter emerging disinformation technologies, foreign interference and the lack of transparency on social media platforms.