A new survey from Statistics Canada suggests a growing number of Canadians are struggling to tell the difference between real information and online misinformation as artificial intelligence tools make fake content more convincing than ever.
According to the report, 80 per cent of Canadians say they encounter information online they suspect is false or misleading at least once a month.
Even more concerning, nearly half of respondents — 47 per cent — say it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish factual reporting from misinformation.
Experts warn that the rapid rise of AI-generated content and deepfake technology is accelerating the problem.
Angus Lockhart from Toronto Metropolitan University said the bigger danger is not necessarily misinformation people recognize, but misinformation they unknowingly accept as true.
“What I think is more worrying is not the misinformation people see online that they recognize as misinformation,” Lockhart said. “It’s the misinformation they see online and actually believe.”
He warned that advances in artificial intelligence are making fake videos, manipulated images and fabricated audio increasingly difficult to detect.
“We’re seeing very quick rises in the number of deepfakes that are posted and shared online,” he said. “That technology is only getting better and only making it harder to judge what’s real and what’s fake.”
The survey also found:
- 61 per cent of Canadians are “very” or “extremely” concerned about misinformation online.
- 66 per cent get news from traditional news organizations.
- 54 per cent rely on social media for news and information.
- Among Canadians aged 15 to 34, social media is the leading source of news at 78 per cent.
Ahmed Al-Rawi argued governments and major technology companies have not done enough to address the spread of false information online.
“The only language they understand is the language of financial penalties,” Al-Rawi said, calling for stronger legislation and accountability measures for social media platforms.
Experts say misinformation spreads especially quickly because many users do not verify information before sharing it, particularly when the content aligns with their personal beliefs or emotions.
Lockhart said there is a clear connection between low levels of fact-checking and increased belief in misinformation.