Stronger regulations are needed, Tenove says, to “reset the playing field so you're not at a disadvantage for avoiding doing stuff that seems unethical or undemocratic.” Read the full article: www.nationalobserver.com/2026/02/24/i...
Companies position these apps as democratic participation, but researchers such as Fenwick McKelvey & CSDI’s @cjten.bsky.social suggest they may undermine trust and transparency in online campaigns.
🤖 Cyborg propaganda? Tech companies are looking for new methods of circumventing digital platform rules and election laws in order to shape election discourse, and sometimes that means bringing humans into the loop. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/02/24/i...
“The idea that you would give your contact book information to a party without the consent of the people in your address book is deeply problematic."
@cjten.bsky.social discusses AI-powered political campaign tools via @nationalobserver.com
How do vaccine and climate debates unfold online, and how can social scientists study them at scale? Join Johanna Klapproth, Mark Shakespear, @lauraknelson.bsky.social, and @cjten.bsky.social to discuss research strategies and how they can inform real-world policy.
www.eventbrite.ca/e/computatio...
⚠️NEW EVENT! Join @e4dca.bsky.social for an expert panel discussion on how the rapid spread of misinformation has undermined public trust and affected sectors and communities across Canada, and what can be done to combat it.
🧵More info and rego link here: evidencefordemocracy.ca/webinar-the-...
Join Thorsten Quandt, Johanna Klapproth, and Heidi Tworek as they discuss how digital platforms and politics shape polarized online discourse, using case studies of vaccine debates in Germany and Canada. This event is organized by the Bridge Resource Consortium. www.eventbrite.com/e/navigating...
Their chapter draws on interviews with public health communicators to show these risks and identify solutions.
Hats off to the editors @emilylaidlaw.bsky.social and @f-mb.bsky.social.
More details and the full book PDF are available here: www.uottawa.ca/research-inn...
For their chapter, “The Technology-Facilitated Insecurity of Public and Private Selves,” Chris and Heidi argue that social media platforms blur the boundaries between users’ “public” and “private” identities, increasing their exposure to online and offline risks.
We’re thrilled that The Security of Self: A Human-Centric Approach to Cybersecurity is out, just in time for some holiday reading! The book’s contributors—including CSDI directors @cjten.bsky.social and @heiditworek.bsky.social—put people at the centre of understanding and advancing cybersecurity.
As G7 ministers gathered in Montreal last week, CSDI director @heiditworek.bsky.social spoke to The Canadian Press about the areas of agreement and tension on AI, digital regulation, and governance.
www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/science/mont...
The EU should promote tech innovation through regulatory ambition, not surrender, argues Milan Wiertz.
Check out the latest article by Wiertz, a policy analyst and CSDI researcher, on @techpolicypress.bsky.social www.techpolicy.press/europes-digi...
Recent CSDI post-doctoral fellow Marco Zenone found that millions of dollars are spent on online Ozempic pay-per-click ads, with 11% of the ad keywords promoting weight loss—an ‘off-label’ and unapproved use of the drug. Could this be a drug advertising loophole? jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
ICYMI: Check out this new policy brief @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social on how universities can address online harassment of #researchers and #faculty. The brief reviews best practices and offers recommendations on how institutions can provide support. #HigherEd
📝 Read here: bridgerc.ca/online-haras...
Congratulations to the Committee on this major report. Lots of good ideas in here to strengthen democracy in BC. Thanks to chairs @j-blatherwick-mla.bsky.social and @mla-wardstamer.bsky.social, and all the other committee members and staff.
I hope people check it out! lims.leg.bc.ca/pcms/file/19...
"Canada cannot prepare for future public health emergencies without protecting the safety of researchers and their freedom to pursue their lines of inquiry without fear."
Further insight on online harassment and our latest policy brief in @ca.theconversation.com
theconversation.com/online-haras...
We are deeply grateful to the researchers, staff, and communities who informed this work and the final recommendations. Specific thanks to @bridgerc.bsky.social, @jhodson.bsky.social, and UBC Health.
Inter-university action needed:
- Each institution should tackle this issue but it’s also a collective problem.
- Canadian universities should share and adopt best practices, and pursue joint initiatives as seen in other jurisdictions.
- Encourage provincial and federal action on online harms.
- Online harassment can affect mental health, professional reputation, research diversity, and knowledge sharing.
- A wraparound framework provides diverse forms of support to address potential harm.
- We identify 7 domains of institutional support ranging from cybersecurity to PR to legal guidance.
Online abuse of researchers and faculty is becoming more frequent and severe, and it can cause personal, professional, and institutional harms.
We consulted university staff, researchers, and global policy frameworks to create recommendations to better address this challenge.
🌟 Today, we launch our latest policy brief 'How Universities Can Better Address Online Harassment'. The brief reviews international best practices for institutions to support researchers facing abuse.
democracy.ubc.ca/publications...
Want to learn how to best turn climate policy discussions into climate action? Join CSDI and the UBC Sustainability Hub on November 18th for a practical workshop on policy communications, with focus on writing op-eds.
Details and registration ⬇️
www.eventbrite.ca/e/effective-...
⚠️On September 10, the CSDI and the Electoral Integrity Project co-hosted the Technology and the Future of Democracy conference – bringing together over 80 attendees from academia, civil society, and policy practice.
🧵Read more below!
democracy.ubc.ca/news/technol...
democracy.ubc.ca/news/stress-...
"Policymakers must ensure human judgement - not algorithms - remains central in life-and-death decisions".
💭 CSDI's Nishtha Gupta explores the implications of AI adoption for Canada's defence strategy in @policyoptions.irpp.org.
🧵https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2025/09/ai-defence-spending/
@heiditworek.bsky.social discusses the undulation of communication technologies and their ability to both attract and oppose the energy of globalization in @globaldiscnct.bsky.social's recent volume.
Find Heidi's chapter and the entire open-access collection: www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
🎧 Looking for a great audio interview?
CSDI Director @heiditworek.bsky.social spoke to KKFI Radio about the modern communication landscape, what we can learn from media trends of the past, and much more. kkfi.org/program-epis...
We are delighted to welcome our @apsa.bsky.social colleagues to Vancouver this week! Today, CSDI is co-convening a pre-APSA conference on Technology and the Future of Democracy, including tabletop exercises simulating election threats and responses. www.electoralintegrityproject.com/vancouver-20...
Some of our findings include:
-Elections BC remains highly trusted
-Online political discourse was polarized with distinct partisan divides across social media platforms
-No evidence of foreign information manipulation during the election
-Declining ability to identify and trust reliable information
CSDI is thrilled to announce the publication of our collaborative research with @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social studying the B.C. information environment during the 2024 provincial election! Read the full report ⬇️
meo.ca/work/british...
