Russian disinformation poses ‘urgent’ risk to Canada, Senate report warns – National
Canada’s ability to combat the “urgent” threat of Russian disinformation continues to grow after the rapidly growing spread of malicious activity online, warns a new Senate committee report, calling for a public response and more government action.
The report released Thursday by the Senate committee on defense and national security comes after a multi-year investigation in the last Parliament, which left senators “convinced that Russia’s indifference poses a serious threat to Canada’s national security, democratic institutions and social cohesion.”
The report states: “Russian disinformation has been growing and emerging at a rapid pace.
“The Canadian government has been making efforts to deal with disinformation. However, the level of Russian disinformation exceeds Canada’s ability to deal with it effectively.”
The report says the rise of artificial intelligence and the ability of disinformation to be spread uncontrollably across social media has made it possible for Canadians to be exposed to Russian fake news.
Of particular concern is the spread of content aimed at undermining support for Ukraine and NATO, as well as misinformation targeting Canadian military and politicians. Racism and violent extremism in Ukrainian and minority communities have grown as a result, witnesses said.
“Canadians’ exposure to Russian disinformation is significant,” the report concluded, with witnesses presenting data suggesting that the majority of Canadians are exposed to pro-Kremlin messages online.
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“From the eye of the witness, Russia’s efforts to spread information around the world are also impacting Canada by undermining the international order and undermining democracy.”
The report makes 10 recommendations, including designing a whole-of-government approach to dealing with Russian discrimination that includes a strategic plan and annual reports to Parliament.
Any national security strategy released between now and the next election must address and outline responses to Russian disinformation that are “effective, comprehensive and coordinated.”
The committee also calls for the development and funding of a community-wide approach to dealing with all disinformation, including from Russia, involving state, local, municipal and indigenous governments, as well as community groups, civil society organizations and private companies.
Other recommendations include improved public visibility of Russian disinformation campaigns directed at Canada, new methods and funding for organizations dedicated to dealing with anti-Ukraine content, and a panel of independent experts to review Canada’s approach to dealing with disinformation.
The report also urges Ottawa to “continue to develop and implement strategies to use tools based on artificial intelligence to monitor, detect, analyze and respond to external information.”
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