Aengus Bridgman

Aengus Bridgman on the Rise of Deepfake Scams and Political Disinformation in Canada’s Election | The Guardian

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:25:21 +0000

April 18, 2025 | In an interview with The Guardian, Media Ecosystem Observatory Executive Director Aengus Bridgman warned of a dramatic surge in fake political content on social media as Canadians prepare to vote in the federal election. Bridgman explains that, despite Meta’s ban on Canadian news sharing, more than half of Canadians still rely on Facebook for political information—now increasingly shaped by fake headlines, fraudulent ads, and deepfake videos.

Aengus Bridgman on Canada’s Online News Ban and the Rise of Partisan Disinformation | The New York Times

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:49:08 +0000

April 21, 2025 | In an interview with The New York Times, Aengus Bridgman warns that Meta’s 2023 news ban on Facebook and Instagram in Canada has left the country’s online media environment vulnerable to disinformation and polarization ahead of the federal election. With mainstream news blocked, hyperpartisan pages like Canada Proud have surged in popularity, spreading misleading content and amplifying political division.

How disinformation, fake news and foreign interference threaten Canadian election | Montreal Gazette

pinaki.siwach@mcgill.ca — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 14:26:49 +0000

March 31, 2025 | Aengus Bridgman, director of the Media Ecosystem Observatory (MEO), spoke with The Gazette about the threats of fake news, deepfakes and foreign interference infiltrating your social media feed have never been higher. He cites an evolving geopolitical landscape, a reduction of safeguards by the main social media platforms and the advent of generative AI as game changers in the lead-up to election day on April 28.

Aengus Bridgman on the 2025 Federal Election, Social Media Platforms, and Misinformation | The Law Bytes

pinaki.siwach@mcgill.ca — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 13:54:55 +0000

March 31, 2025 | Aengus Bridgman, director of the Media Ecosystem Observatory (MEO), explains about the state of the major platforms in Canada in 2025, how our information ecosystem is vulnerable to misinformation, and what we should be doing about it. A contributor to studies on information issues in multiple federal and provincial elections, he is one of Canada’s leading experts on misinformation, digital activism, and the politics of digital media.

Aengus Bridgman on Fighting Misinformation on Social Media | CBC Listen

pinaki.siwach@mcgill.ca — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 14:54:55 +0000

March 21, 2025 | Aengus Bridgman, director of the Media Ecosystem Observatory (MEO), explains what worries him about the information voters are getting online this election and how to make sure one doesn't get duped on a podcast The House with Catherine Cullen. Since the last election social media landscape has changed a lot since the online news act came into affect.

ɬ�﷬ Launches Canadian Election Misinformation Project

katrine.claassens@mcgill.ca — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 13:57:26 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Understanding vaccine hesitancy in Canada | Media Ecosystem Observatory

zhanara.baisalova@mail.mcgill.ca — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 18:18:23 +0000

The Max Bell School's Media Ecosystem Observatory is out with a new research paper on vaccine hesitancy in Canada.

Some of the key findings:

Sixty-five percent of Canadians intend to take a vaccine, with some slight erosion since a high in July. Approximately 15 percent of Canadians are unwilling, and an additional 20 percent are unsure.

Read the full paper here (PDF)

COVID-19 pandemic uniting Canadians like no other event in decades

nicholas.salter@mcgill.ca — Mon, 25 May 2020 15:14:20 +0000

Canada's response to the pandemic contrasts markedly with the political partisanship displayed in U.S.

A new study by researchers from ɬ�﷬ and the University of Toronto finds a cross-partisan consensus on battling COVID-19 in Canada. Unlike in the U.S., this consensus is fostering broad agreement on the threats posed by the pandemic and the actions necessary to contain it – all of which is crucial to efforts to fight the virus.