https://mediatechdemocracy.com/en/publications/ Publications from Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy en-ca https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/all-work/scope-ai-chatbots-into-a-revised-online-harms-act Calling for immediate action to scope AI chatbots into a revised Online Harms Act. Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT scoping-ai-chatbots-online-harms-act /work/conspiratorial-claims-and-institutional-distrust-in-canadas-online-ecosystem/ A national study revealing that while conspiracy theory belief remains limited, a small number of highly active online accounts drive outsized visibility of conspiratorial content. Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT conspiracy-distrust_2026 https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/all-work/new-study-finds-conspiracy-theory-beliefs-amplified-by-a-small-number-of-highly-active-accounts Finds limited belief in conspiracy theories, but outsized visibility driven by a small number of highly active online accounts. Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT conspiracy-beliefs-amplified_2026 https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/all-work/canadians-perspectives-on-governing-ai-chatbots-a-policy-brief Evidence-based mandate for AI chatbot regulation using nationally representative survey data from 1,454 Canadians. Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT ai-chatbots-perspectives_2026 https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/forum-report-ai-and-information-integrity Addresses artificial intelligence and its relationship with information integrity. Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT genzai-ai-information-integrity_2026 /publications/charlie-kirk-final-debrief/ Final debrief concluding an 8-update investigation into the Charlie Kirk assassination's impact on Canada's information ecosystem, documenting polarized conversations and disinformation. Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT charlie-kirk-final-debrief https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/all-work/taylorowenaitaskforcememo Memo with recommendations on AI governance, safety, and trust for Canada's National AI Task Force. Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT ai-strategy-task-force-final-report /publications/foreign-state-creators-response-to-charlie-kirk-assassination/ Examines how foreign states exploited the Charlie Kirk crisis through influence operations and disinformation campaigns. Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT charlie-kirk-iu8-foreign-state-creators /publications/canadians-views-on-political-violence-and-freedom-of-expression/ Assesses Canadian public attitudes toward political violence and affective polarization trends following the Charlie Kirk assassination. Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT charlie-kirk-iu7-political-violence-views /publications/canadians-awareness-beliefs-and-reactions-to-the-charlie-kirk-shooting/ Explores Canadian exposure to information about the assassination and resulting public understanding. Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT charlie-kirk-iu6-awareness-beliefs-reactions /publications/mapping-controversial-and-polarized-claims-following-the-assassination-of-charlie-kirk/ Identifies popular claims and evaluates support/refutation patterns across discussions following the Charlie Kirk assassination. Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT charlie-kirk-iu5-polarized-claims /publications/understanding-the-international-reaction-to-the-assassination-of-charlie-kirk/ Analyzes international social media discussions on TikTok following the Charlie Kirk assassination. Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT charlie-kirk-iu4-tiktok-international /publications/comparing-canadian-and-american-perceptions-of-political-violence/ Compares Canadian and American public attitudes toward political violence and polarization following the Charlie Kirk assassination. Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT charlie-kirk-iu3-canada-us-perceptions /work/power-shift-the-rise-of-political-influencers-in-canada/ Research demonstrating that political influencers have become central figures in Canada's online political discourse, fundamentally altering information flow dynamics. Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT power-shift-influencers_2025 /publications/online-shockwaves-reactions-to-the-charlie-kirk-incident-on-x-in-canada-and-abroad/ Evaluates X platform discussions documenting polarization and political violence concerns in Canada and abroad. Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT charlie-kirk-iu2-x-reactions https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/forum-report-ai-chatbots Examines AI chatbots and related technology concerns. Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT genzai-ai-chatbots_2025 /publications/kremlin-doppelgnger-tactics-and-the-exploitation-of-the-charlie-kirk-murder/ Identifies Kremlin exploitation of Charlie Kirk's death using information warfare and doppelganger tactics. Fri, 03 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT charlie-kirk-iu1-kremlin-doppelganger /publications/effects-of-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-in-the-canadian-information-ecosystem/ Initial incident alert documenting polarized discussions fueling disinformation and conflict following the Charlie Kirk assassination. Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT charlie-kirk-notification /s/MEO_BCEMP-FullRept-2025_f05.pdf/ The final report of MEO's monitoring of British Columbia's 2024 provincial election information ecosystem, analyzing platform dynamics, misinformation spread, and media coverage patterns. Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT bc-election-final_2025 https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/s/Ava_Submission-to-the-OPC.pdf Contribution to privacy code development for children. Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT opc-childrens-privacy_2025 /work/ocanada-tvnews-a-two-year-dataset-for-gender-and-topic-diversity-in-canadian-tv-news-broadcasts/ A two-year dataset documenting gender and topic diversity in Canadian TV news broadcasts. Tue, 08 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT ocanada-tvnews-dataset_2025 https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2506.10942 This paper describes the design, implementation, and operation of the Media Ecosystem Observatory — a large-scale infrastructure for monitoring Canada's information environment across multiple digital platforms. Tue, 08 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT meo-infrastructure_2025 https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/what-should-the-cbc-be-report Two-year study that draws on best practices in public service media from within Canada and in 17 other countries, with national survey insights. Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT what-should-the-cbc-be_2025 /publications/the-canadianinformation-ecosystem-during-the-2025-federal-election/ Comprehensive report on Canada's 2025 federal election information ecosystem. Concludes that while election integrity was upheld, Canada's democratic resilience is weakening under pressure from manipulation and polarization. Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT federal-election_2025 /publications/source-response-scam-ai-fake-news/ Investigates the sources of AI-generated scams and fake news sites during Canada's 2025 federal election, and the platform/government response. Fri, 25 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT ai-scam-sources_2025 /publications/scam-ai-fake-news/ Documents how social media platforms host and profit from AI-generated scam content mimicking legitimate Canadian news sources like CBC and CTV, linked to cryptocurrency scams. Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT ai-scam-platforms_2025 https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/deliberative-approaches-to-inclusive-governance Part of the Democratic Legitimacy for AI Initiative. Seven-part essay series exploring how citizen assemblies and civic technology can strengthen AI governance. Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT deliberative-governance_2025 https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/c-18-news-bargaining-report Comprehensive examination of Bill C-18 legislation and the struggle to regulate Big Tech in the news media context. Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT news-bargaining-c18_2025 /work/like-it-or-not-the-changing-canadian-information-ecosystem/ Analysis documenting how Meta's news ban, X's restructuring, and TikTok's rise have fundamentally altered how Canadians engage with political content. Tue, 11 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT changing-canadian-info-ecosystem_2025 https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/ICWSM/article/view/35956 Introducing Can-PolNews, a comprehensive multi-platform dataset capturing political discourse across Canadian digital media, enabling research on cross-platform information flows. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT canpolnews-dataset_2025 https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/climate-obstruction-report Investigates climate misinformation patterns across Canada, revealing the growing impact of climate disinformation. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT climate-obstruction_2025 /pdfs/tenet-russia-funding-2024.pdf Initial notification documenting the DOJ indictment of two Russian nationals for funding Tenet Media, with Canadian influencer Lauren Chen and Liam Donovan allegedly receiving nearly $10 million USD from RT. Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT tenet-russia-funding_2024 /publications/russianfundingcanadianinfluencers/iu8-pro-russian-narratives-among-tenet-media-influencer-podcasts/ Content analysis of pro-Russian messaging in Tenet Media funded influencer podcasts. Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT tenet-media-iu8-pro-russian-narratives /work/canada-wildfire-2023-jasper-2024/ Analysis of public attitudes and media coverage of the 2023-2024 wildfire seasons and the role of social media in shaping climate change discourse. Tue, 12 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT smoke-mirrors-wildfire_2024 /publications/russianfundingcanadianinfluencers/iu7-x-analysis-downstream-conversations-in-canada/ Examines Canadian X platform discussions and downstream conversations following Russian funding revelations. Tue, 12 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT tenet-media-iu7-x-analysis /publications/russianfundingcanadianinfluencers/iu6-relevance-role-of-tenet-media-personalities-in-cdn-political-discussion/ Assesses the influence of Tenet Media personalities on Canadian political discourse. Tue, 05 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT tenet-media-iu6-personalities-cdn-politics /publications/russianfundingcanadianinfluencers/iu5-awareness-and-importance-tenet-media-influencers-in-canada/ Quantifies Canadian public awareness and engagement with Russian-funded Tenet Media influencers through survey data. Fri, 25 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT tenet-media-iu5-survey-awareness /publications/russianfundingcanadianinfluencers/iu4-discussion-sentiment-towards-canada-tenet-media/ Sentiment analysis of discussion about Canada on Tenet Media funded influencer podcasts. Fri, 18 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT tenet-media-iu4-sentiment-canada /publications/russianfundingcanadianinfluencers/iu3-exploring-impacts-influencers-foreign-interference/ Examines the broader impacts and mechanisms of using influencers as vectors for foreign interference operations. Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT tenet-media-iu3-influencer-foreign-interference https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/all-work/canadianinformationecosystem-edzep-gd874 National survey examining Canadian perspectives on the CBC. Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT do-we-need-the-cbc_2024 /pdfs/bc-election-baseline-2024.pdf A baseline analysis of British Columbia's information ecosystem ahead of the 2024 provincial election, establishing benchmarks for monitoring misinformation and media coverage. Fri, 27 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT bc-election-baseline_2024 /publications/russianfundingcanadianinfluencers/iu2-inflection-point-russian-interference/ Analysis of the current state of Russian-directed foreign interference operations in North America. Fri, 20 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT tenet-media-iu2-russian-interference-state /publications/russianfundingcanadianinfluencers/iu1-exploring-rt-russian-operations-canada/ Initial exploration of RT's operations, Russian influence campaigns, and their role in and impact on Canada's information ecosystem. Thu, 19 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT tenet-media-iu1-rt-russian-operations /publications/kirkland-lake-iu6-bots-llms/ Analysis of Large Language Model usage in bot-generated content, reach metrics, and broader bot messaging activity. Fri, 23 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT kirkland-lake-iu6-bots-llms /publications/kirkland-lake-iu5-survey/ Survey of 1,437 Canadians measuring public perception of the Kirkland Lake bot incident. Fri, 23 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT kirkland-lake-iu5-survey /publications/kirkland-lake-iu4-bot-presence/ Examined suspected bot presence in commentary on Canadian politicians' accounts on Facebook and X. Fri, 23 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT kirkland-lake-iu4-bot-presence-politicians /publications/kirkland-lake-iu3-ai-replicability/ Investigation showing that almost all large free commercial AIs are not prepared to mitigate bot-style interference campaigns. Thu, 22 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT kirkland-lake-iu3-ai-tools-replicability /publications/kirkland-lake-iu1-social-media-lab/ Social Media Lab analysis suggesting the Kirkland Lake bot campaign most likely resulted from an amateur actor rather than coordinated institutional effort. Fri, 16 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT kirkland-bots-social-media-lab_2024 /pdfs/kirkland-bots-2024.pdf Final debrief concluding that the Kirkland Lake bot campaign was likely caused by a single entity or actor using newly created bot accounts with AI-generated content. Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT kirkland-bots_2024 /pdfs/meta-news-ban-2024.pdf An assessment of the impact of Meta's news ban in Canada one year after implementation, examining changes in information access, news consumption patterns, and platform dynamics. Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT meta-news-ban_2024 https://disinfowatch.org/canadian-vulnerability-to-russian-narratives-about-ukraine/ Report examining Canadian vulnerability to Russian narratives about Ukraine. Mon, 08 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT russia-ukraine-narratives_2024 https://reclimate.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Re.Climate-Report-Wildfire-Misinformation-2024.pdf An analysis of misinformation surrounding Canadian wildfires and its intersection with climate change discourse online. Thu, 13 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT flame-wars-wildfire_2024 https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/climatetech-essay-series Explores intersection of climate justice and technological advancement. Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT climate-justice-technology-essay-series /pdfs/news-deserts-2024.pdf A study of information ecosystems in Canadian communities that have lost local news outlets, examining how news deserts affect information quality and civic engagement. Thu, 18 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT news-deserts_2024 https://democracy.ubc.ca/platforms/journalism-and-ai/ Analysis of AI's risks and opportunities for journalism. Tue, 20 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT ai-journalism_2024 https://www.cigionline.org/articles/what-will-the-series-of-pivotal-elections-in-2024-mean-for-democracy/ Analysis of the democratic implications of 2024's series of pivotal global elections. Thu, 01 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT pivotal-elections_2024 https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/08c57f70-15b8-4b8c-80f9-2a4a0dced363/content Research paper examining social media platforms through the lens of fragile state theory. Mon, 15 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT social-media-fragile-state_2024 https://aclanthology.org/2023.findings-emnlp.816.pdf Research paper on modeling agonism and dimensions of online conflict, published at EMNLP 2023. Wed, 06 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT online-conflict_2023 https://figshare.com/articles/book/Indistinct_Information_Habitats_Information_and_Attitudes_in_the_2023_Alberta_Election/24625314 An analysis of the information ecosystem during the 2023 Alberta provincial election, examining misinformation exposure, media consumption patterns, and their relationship to political attitudes. Fri, 24 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT alberta-election_2023 https://mediatechdemocracy.com/en/publications/ A comprehensive mapping of Canada's information ecosystem, examining how Canadians produce, disseminate, and consume information across digital media platforms, with analysis of media concentration, political discourse, and information health indicators. Sun, 15 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT canadian-info-ecosystem_2023 https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:6fa07ad8-865e-4646-a75c-8a63eaf363a9 Youth-centered recommendations for digital safety from a gathering of 39 Canadian 18-year-olds. Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT youth-assembly-digital-rights_2023 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/capa.12535 Policy paper outlining an agenda for responsible technology policy in Canada. Sun, 13 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT responsible-tech-policy_2023 https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/wam45 Une analyse du rôle de la mésinformation lors de l'élection provinciale québécoise de 2022, examinant les dynamiques de désinformation en français au Québec. Wed, 15 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT quebec-election-misinfo_2023 https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/platform-governance-essay-series Bilingual examination of digital platform governance approaches. Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT platform-governance-essay-series https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/all-work/final-report-2022-how-to-make-online-platforms-more-transparent-and-accountable-to-canadian-users Platform accountability and transparency framework from Year 2 of the Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression. Sun, 01 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT ccde-final-report_2022 https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/ubfmx A comprehensive report on misinformation and disinformation during Canada's 2021 federal election, analyzing cross-platform dynamics and key narratives. Mon, 04 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT federal-election-misinfo_2022 /work/pandemic/government-aid/ Analysis of public support for pandemic relief programs and perceptions of deservingness of government aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wed, 31 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT covid-government-aid_2021 https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/canadian-commission-on-democratic-expression Year 1 final report of the Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression focused on online hate. Wed, 27 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT ccde-harms-reduction_2021 /work/pandemic/social-distancing/ Study examining how economic factors and prospective costs affected public compliance with social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mon, 14 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT covid-social-distancing_2020 /work/pandemic/anti-intellectualism/ Study of expert distrust and COVID-19 information seeking behaviors, examining the role of anti-intellectualism in shaping pandemic information preferences. Tue, 04 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT covid-anti-intellectualism_2020 /work/pandemic/public-health-communication/ Analysis of government health messaging effectiveness on social media platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mon, 27 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT covid-public-health-social-media_2020 https://doi.org/10.37016/mr-2020-028 An examination of COVID-19 misperceptions in Canada, finding that social media consumption was associated with greater misperceptions while traditional news media consumption was associated with more accurate beliefs. Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT covid-misperceptions_2020 https://ppforum.ca/articles/lessons-in-resilience-canadas-digital-media-ecosystem-and-the-2019-election/ Lessons from monitoring Canada's 2019 federal election information environment through the Digital Democracy Project, a precursor initiative to the Media Ecosystem Observatory. Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT cdn-digital-media-2019-election_2020 /work/pandemic/cross-partisan/ Analysis of political elite and public response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, documenting a rare moment of cross-partisan consensus. Thu, 16 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT covid-cross-partisan-consensus_2020 https://mediaecosystemobservatory.com/Vaccine-hesistancy A study of vaccine hesitancy in Canada examining the relationship between information consumption, attitudes toward vaccines, and the broader information ecosystem. Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT vaccine-hesitancy_2020 /work/digital-democracy/research-challenge-report/ An 18-team collaboration examining Canada's 2019 election digital ecosystem through the Digital Ecosystem Research Challenge. Fri, 05 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT digital-ecosystem-research-challenge_2019