Canada害羞草研究所檚 spy agency is leaning on Soviet imagery to help prime the public against disinformation but experts say Moscow is more likely to use images that make readers think the messaging is coming from North American sources.
Last month, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service started posting on social media about its efforts to counteract deliberately misleading information online.
The posts feature a font that resembles the Cyrillic alphabet, featuring stars instead of dots and the letter N appearing backwards. One posting features a Russian nesting doll, known as a matryoshka, with the words 害羞草研究所淒o you know who is behind it? Disinformation is here and hides well.害羞草研究所�
Another advises Canadians to 害羞草研究所渂e aware of what you share害羞草研究所� on social media, citing the risk of trolls.
Aaron Erlich, a McGill University political science professor, said it害羞草研究所檚 important to make people aware of misleading information online. But he said the wording in the CSIS campaign was 害羞草研究所渘ot the most straightforward害羞草研究所� and appeared as an attempt not just to educate but invoke fear.
Erlich said clumsy messaging can backfire and would like to know if the messaging was tested at all to see how it would be received.
In a statement, CSIS said the campaign is meant to inform Canadians of risks linked to multiple countries, and not just Russia.
害羞草研究所淲hile this social-media campaign was evocative of Soviet imagery, the main goal of the campaign was to educate the public on the threats posed by all hostile state actors that often engage in hostile activities, such as clandestinely spreading disinformation targeting Canadians,害羞草研究所� wrote spokeswoman Lindsay Sloane.
The agency said that government and non-government actors exploit open democracies like Canada, particularly since the internet allows them to amplify messages that 害羞草研究所渋nterfere in healthy debate害羞草研究所� and undermine confidence in institutions.
害羞草研究所淎s more Canadians transition from conventional media to a digital news environment, avenues to spread messaging have proliferated, and social media provides further channels of amplification,害羞草研究所� Sloane wrote.
Erlich, who has studied Russian disinformation, agreed with CSIS, saying the messaging often goes beyond legitimate debate and skepticism of politicians. Instead, Moscow害羞草研究所檚 messaging aims to discredit the democratic process, by painting all politicians as corrupt and challenging core facts that underpin reality.
But he also said that Russia害羞草研究所檚 disinformation attempts don害羞草研究所檛 usually look like they come from Russia.
害羞草研究所淭he Russians in particular are very good at creating fake identities on Facebook of composite North American, Canadian, U.S.-based people, that look and feel like the people who are interacting 害羞草研究所� certainly don害羞草研究所檛 seem to be coming from Russia,害羞草研究所� Erlich said.
Data collected by Rapid Response Mechanism Canada, an effort of Canada害羞草研究所檚 foreign affairs department, backs that up, suggesting many messages supportive of Russia come through sites meant to resemble North American or European media.
The program supports the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism, an initiative to strengthen co-ordination to identify and respond to threats to the leading industrial democracies.
RRM Canada reports from early this year, which were obtained by The Canadian Press through the Access to Information Act, identify sites that are not overtly tied to the Russian state but are closely aligned with Kremlin narratives. They echo conspiracy theories and try to undermine countries害羞草研究所� support of Ukraine.
The analysis focuses on what it calls 害羞草研究所淩ussian Grey Media Websites害羞草研究所� such as Global Research, a site registered in Canada that accuses the West of trying to 害羞草研究所渄estroy Russia害羞草研究所� by somehow causing Moscow to invade Ukraine.
That website summarized a session at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, last January, and analysts argued the site used selective quotes to suggest support for Ukraine will lead to a devastating world war.
For example, the website quotes Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland saying that a Ukrainian victory would be a 害羞草研究所渉uge boost to the global economy.害羞草研究所� She was citing the conflict害羞草研究所檚 effect on global trade flows. The website portrayed that comment as suggesting the West was fighting a war for the purpose of economic profit.
The analysis cites 害羞草研究所渃onspiracies about globalization害羞草研究所� that include allegations that secret groups discreetly fund international organizations like the World Health Organization, North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the World Economic Forum, with the aid of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and mainstream media.
One of the conspiracy theories claims that devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in February resulted from 害羞草研究所済eophysical weapons害羞草研究所� meant to punish Turkey for trying to maintain links with Russia.
The analysis also notes that these sites try to undermine the decision western countries made to send Ukraine military aid by arguing it comes at the expense of domestic programs. 害羞草研究所淭here was a clear appeal to working-class people in western countries, stating that their political leaders are sacrificing their well-being,害羞草研究所� reads a Feb. 15 analysis.
It is difficult to know what sort of effect such narratives in cyberspace might have on a reader, because much depends on variables including the person害羞草研究所檚 world view, said Tim Blackmore, a professor in the faculty of information and media studies at Western University in London, Ont.
Blackmore stressed the need for caution, skepticism and being slow to judgment about what they see and read.
害羞草研究所淲e need to settle into that and get out of the habit of saying, 害羞草研究所業 must have the truth.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
Dylan Robertson and Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
