The emerging breadth and depth of Russian disinformation tactics represent a clear and present danger to Canadian sovereignty and freedom.

Just as troubling, some Canadians consider Canada immune to Russian propaganda. It’s a mistaken belief that only helps these disinformation campaigns spread and take root.

Modern-day Russian propaganda is relentless, pernicious and is widespread globally. It aims to dull critical thinking, divide society and undermine democracy. It challenges our commitment to open debate by replacing informed critical conversations with paid lies.

Media and social influencers, academics, journalists, community leaders, politicians and others are increasingly caught in the dragnet of these surreptitious tactics.

Propaganda created or supported by the Kremlin and spread from within the West is a vital component of Russia’s war against Ukraine. It aims to sow confusion about who is to blame for the war and doubt about the effectiveness or desirability of western support for Ukraine.

Recent high-level warnings of Russian’s malicious actions include:

– Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent statement under oath that Russia is directly funding the prominent American provocateur Tucker Carlson to promote disinformation.

– U.S. justice department revelations of the use of a Canadian-owned media company to spread Kremlin-generated propaganda.

– Witnesses appearing before a House of Commons committee to raise concern that some members of the Russian state-run Valdai Club might be working as Russian propagandists.

Many other examples abound.

Yet, it’s an open question of how well the Canadian public and some of the country’s political leadership understand what is happening.

Some visible forms of disinformation include angry online rants filled with outrageous and obvious lies about Russia’s war against Ukraine and bot and troll campaigns on social media.

But these are........

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