Responding to foreign disinformation poses many challenges. Recent revelations about foreign interference in Canada illustrate some of them.
Malign foreign entities and witting and unwitting domestic officials have complex roles that are in constant flux. An uncertain government is paralyzed by partisanship and communication problems. Both foreign interference and government confusion threaten to further erode fledgling public confidence in government institutions.
My forthcoming article, to be published soon, examines how the Canadian federal government is addressing Russian disinformation pertaining to the war in Ukraine. It reveals the benefits, limits and potential dangers in government responses. It also builds on my earlier analysis of Canadian responses to foreign disinformation in general to provide lessons for how to better address foreign disinformation overall.
