While visiting the University of British Columbia (UBC) on Wednesday, Minister of Canadian Heritage Pascale St-Onge announced $129,375 in funding for UBC’s Municipal Mis/Disinformation project, which responds to the problem of online climate misinformation and disinformation at the local level.
The project is receiving the funding through the federal government’s Digital Citizen Contribution Program, which supports the priorities of the Digital Citizen Initiative by providing financial assistance to Canadian researchers and civil society organizations that promote a healthy information ecosystem and help Canadians and the government understand online disinformation and its impact on Canadian society. The program aims to support democracy and social inclusion in Canada by enhancing and supporting efforts to counter online disinformation and other online threats, a Canadian Heritage press release says.
The UBC project is aimed at helping local governments, community organizations and non-profit groups to address the challenges of online climate misinformation.
“In light of climate disasters like worsening wildfires each year endangering Canadians and their homes, including in British Columbia and Canada’s north, the need for trustworthy, fact-based and reliable information has profound importance,” the press release says.
“The project will also examine the role of generative artificial intelligence in the spread of misinformation and disinformation by reviewing the risks and opportunities associated with the emerging technology,” the release adds. “Through research, knowledge sharing and engagements, the project will strengthen the capacity of Canadian communities to meet this challenge and fill a critical knowledge gap in the battle against misinformation and disinformation.”
“As governments around the world examine the challenge of online misinformation and disinformation, municipal governments, civil society organizations and community groups are on the frontlines, feeling the impact,” St-Onge said in a statement. “The University of British Columbia’s Municipal Mis/Disinformation project responds to the damage caused by climate change disinformation at the local level. This project’s research will play an essential role in the global battle against misinformation and disinformation.”
Image borrowed from Canadian Heritage’s press release
