The Perils of Thought Scams

 Here's an interesting article about the perils of mis- and disinformation written from a Canadian perspective. The author uses the term "thought scams" which I haven't come across before but is a good descriptor. We Canadians have a tendency to be somewhat smug and dismissive about some of the political excesses that we seen in othe countries, especially  the United States. But as the recent "Freedom Convoy" and occupation of Ottawa have shown, we're not so different. 

In the face of an increasingly disastrous war in Ukraine, Russia is shutting down independent media outlets, and threatening massive punishments for anyone caught spreading “fake news.” But Russian citizens aren’t the only victims of that country’s propagandizing and disinformation campaigns: Russia, and other foreign regimes, have been pushing insidious thought scams on Canadians for years, robbing our institutions of trust and our citizens of informed thought.

Foreign bad actors have worked hard to sow conspiracy theories, distrust and division. They encouraged anger and disinformation to impact recent American elections, and they have become well-entrenched here in Canada too.

Researchers at Simon Fraser University found Russia and Iran have been “spreading disinformation around highly emotional and divisive issues to further their strategic interests” in Canada. 

But let’s be clear, the foreign, state-sponsored bad actors aren’t the only ones creating fake news. Often, their most effective attempts to amplify misinformation and lies begin with stories and claims that began right here at home. In a single week last month, as protesters descended on Ottawa and tensions around the country ran high, we saw a fake death by horse-trampling, a fake Governor General registry of 3.5 per cent of Canadians to secure a vote of no confidence, a fake frozen bank account, and a fake UN reinforcements story because a plane was getting maintenance in North Bay.