Staff

Canada Faces an Information War | Toronto Star

admin — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 14:38:09 +0000

March 23, 2024 | An Opinion piece led by Professor Taylor Owen and Peter MacLeod delves into the challenges that stand clear against Canada. The country faces a war on two fronts: an economic campaign to weaken and ultimately annex us, and an information war to manipulate public opinion and destabilize our democracy. "As Canada enters a federal election campaign, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Taylor Owen and Helen A. Hayes on Protecting Canada’s Digital Sovereignty Through Unified Regulation | The Globe and Mail

admin — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 18:08:51 +0000

April 7, 2025 | Taylor Owen and Helen A. Hayes wrote an opinion piece arguing that Canada’s failure to regulate its digital space is no longer just a tech policy issue—it’s a national security concern. With rising disinformation and direct interference from the U.S., Canadians now view the United States as a greater foreign threat than China or Russia. Although the Trudeau government introduced several digital policy bills, including those addressing online harms, AI regulation, and cybersecurity, most were abandoned after Parliament was prorogued.

Pearl Eliadis on Quebec’s Bill 94 and the Deepening Discrimination Under the Guise of Secularism | Law360 Canada

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 15:14:23 +0000

April 11, 2025 | In an interview, Pearl Eliadis critiques Quebec’s newly proposed Bill 94, which expands the province’s secularism rules by extending the ban on religious symbols to all school support staff and volunteers, mandating uncovered faces in educational institutions, and prohibiting religious accommodations across the education system.

Pearl Eliadis on the Role of Human Rights Commissions in Post-Genocide Rwanda | Global Justice Journal

admin — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 14:12:08 +0000

June 2025 | Pearl Eliadis recently authored a journal article published in the Global Justice Journal by Queen’s University Faculty of Law comparing the post-genocide roles of Rwanda’s National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), both established under the 1993 Arusha Accords but with markedly different approaches. The NURC was closely controlled by the government and focused on promoting national unity through civic education and social programs.

Vincent Rigby on the Challenges Ahead for the Canada-EU Defence Pact | Expert Group on Canada-US Relations

admin — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 17:45:02 +0000

June 2025 | Vincent Rigby, alongside other senior experts, co-authored a white paper analyzing the Canada-EU Security and Defence Partnership. While the agreement aims to reduce reliance on U.S. defence suppliers and expand access to the European market, the report warns that its success is far from guaranteed. Rigby and his co-authors highlight major fiscal and political barriers, including Canada’s underinvestment in defence, EU divisions over spending targets, and implementation hurdles in aligning procurement and supply chains.

Zola Mirenge on ESG Opportunities in Emerging Markets | Anthesis

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 14:35:04 +0000

August 19, 2025 | In an article for Anthesis Group, MPP '22 Zola Mirenge explores how emerging markets in Latin America, Africa, and Asia are becoming prime opportunities for corporate expansion, with sustainability at the center of growth. She highlights three areas where strong ESG strategies can give companies a competitive edge: access to sustainability-linked finance, meeting rising consumer demand for sustainable products, and navigating increasingly harmonised regulations aligned with global standards.

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

admin — 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.

Taylor Owen on Canada’s Fragile Online Media and the Threat of Manipulation | Get Fact

admin — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:38:55 +0000

April 13, 2025 | In a recent interview, Taylor Owen warned that Canada’s online media environment is more fragile and susceptible to manipulation than ever before. As trust in journalism declines, he explained that political support for far-right parties abroad often backfires, making Canadian politicians cautious. He highlighted the challenges of detecting foreign interference on platforms like Twitter, especially without strong transparency laws such as the failed Online Harms Act.

Taylor Owen on Gander, a Canadian Social Media App | 1075koolfm

admin — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 15:44:10 +0000

June 25, 2025 | Professor Taylor Owen, founding director of The Center for Media, Technology and Democracy has come together with other advisors to build an application, called Gander. It’s a social media platform that lets you post videos, write updates, and tailor your feed to what you actually want to see — minus the trolls, conspiracy theories, and the “why is this even in my feed?” content.

Isabella Coronado Doria MPP '25 on Canada’s Need for Stronger Online Safety Laws | Policy Magazine

admin — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 19:16:18 +0000

July 20, 2025 | MPP 25 Isabella Coronado Doria wrote an opinion piece for Policy Magazine addressing the urgent need for stronger regulation of digital platforms to protect children’s mental health and safety. The article highlights the tragic story of Sewell Setzer, a 14-year-old who developed a harmful virtual relationship with a chatbot, leading to his suicide and a lawsuit against the platform for inadequate safety measures.

Jennifer Welsh on Advancing Localization in Global Politics | Global Studies Quarterly

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 19:18:15 +0000

January 2025 | Jennifer Welsh, alongside co-authors Adam Kochanski and Emily K. M. Scott, wrote "Localization in World Politics: Bridging Theory and Practice" in Global Studies Quarterly. The article introduces a special forum on the concept of localization, exploring its significance in both international relations theory and real-world policy. It addresses why localization has gained attention, its historical roots, what and who is considered “local,” and how localization can be studied.

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

admin — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:25:22 +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.

Gabriel Blanc on Rethinking Canada's Energy Future and Embracing Renewable Growth | Policy Magazine

admin — Mon, 12 May 2025 17:52:45 +0000

May 12, 2025 | In an op-ed for Policy Magazine, MPP '25 Gabriel Blanc critiques Prime Minister Mark Carney’s energy policy, arguing that increasing oil and gas production is a misguided approach to Canada’s abundance agenda. Blanc highlights how the growth of renewable energy technology offers a more sustainable path to economic prosperity, urging Carney to prioritize climate action as an opportunity for leadership in the green economy.

Jennifer Welsh on Israel-Iran Tensions and What’s at Stake at the G7 Summit | CBC Radio

admin — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 18:48:10 +0000

June 15, 2025 | Jennifer Welsh joined CBC Radio’s The Sunday Magazine with Piya Chattopadhyay to analyze how rising tensions between Israel and Iran are shaping the global security landscape—just as G7 leaders gather in Alberta. Speaking alongside former Canadian ambassador Arif Lalani, Welsh described Israel’s latest military strikes as unusually ambitious in scale and timing.

Vincent Rigby on The End of Arctic Exceptionalism | CSIS

admin — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 13:43:36 +0000

March 20, 2025 | Professor Vincent Rigby spoke on the end of arctic exceptionalism on a podcast episode of Center for Strategic & International Studies. Climate change and the reduction in sea ice is opening new shipping routes, and making it easier to tap the arctic’s natural resource wealth, especially critical minerals.