Gloves Off How Do We Not Lose The Information War?
Aug 5, 2025
Bessma Momani, a political science professor at the University of Waterloo and advisor to Public Safety Canada, shares her insights on the escalating information war. She discusses the pervasive influence of online disinformation on democratic integrity, particularly in Canada, and stresses the urgent need for digital literacy. Momani tackles sophisticated tactics from authoritarian regimes like Russia and China, and highlights the importance of fact-checking efforts and civic responsibility in combating misinformation. A riveting exploration of the challenges and resilience of contemporary society!
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Inside A Russian Troll Farm
- Andrei Soshnikov was hired to create opposing fake accounts and run staged discussions to sow division in Russia.
- He copied company documents and uploaded them to the cloud to expose the troll farm's operations.
Disinformation Aims To Erode Trust
- Bessma Momani explains that foreign actors aim to sow distrust in media, governments, and institutions to weaken democracies.
- They exploit multicultural fractures and online virality to cheaply polarize societies and erode cohesion.
Teach Digital Literacy From Childhood
- Invest in early digital literacy and critical thinking in schools to build long-term resistance to disinformation.
- Teach digital hygiene and source-evaluation skills before adulthood so people can spot manipulation online.