Nothing screams dystopian nightmare quite like using tax dollars to deploy artificial intelligence to find ways to counter critics of the “pandemic” narrative. It’s not like the AI could be put to good use, or anything like that.
Now, many of these groups aren’t getting money specifically for this, but the same “disinformation” research could still be applied in most cases.
1. The Media Is Not Loyal To The Public
Truth is essential in society, but the situation in Canada is worse than people imagine. In Canada (and elsewhere), the mainstream media, periodicals, and fact-checkers are subsidized, though they deny it. Post Media controls most outlets in Canada, and many “independents” have ties to Koch/Atlas. Real investigative journalism is needed, and some pointers are provided.
2. How Your Tax Dollars Are Being Used
The Digital Citizen Contribution Program supports the priorities of the Digital Citizen Initiative by providing time-limited financial assistance for research and citizen-focused activities. The Program aims to support democracy and social cohesion in Canada by enhancing and/or supporting efforts to counter online disinformation and other online harms and threats.
The Government is handing out money to certain organizations to promote its version of responsible journalism. What could possibly go wrong with that?
The following organizations are eligible for funding:
- a national, provincial, territorial, municipal, Indigenous, community or professional organization, society or association which has voluntarily associated itself for a not-for-profit purpose, and which has the mandate to represent its membership or community
- a not-for-profit organization, including non-governmental or umbrella organizations, non-profit corporations, community groups, regulatory bodies or apprenticeship authorities, or associations serving the private sector
- a university or educational institution
- an individual researcher, acting in his or her personal capacity
- a research institution with an established record in relevant field(s), intending to undertake work in a Canadian context
- a for-profit Canadian and Canadian-owned institution with a record of developing and delivering programming, and performing research or related activities relevant to the goals of Canadian Heritage’s Digital Citizen Initiative, provided that the nature and the intent of the activity is non-commercial
Now, who’s getting the money?
| NAME | YEAR | AMOUNT |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Wilner and Casey Babb | Aug. 10, 2020 | $9,900 |
| Alperin, Juan P. | Apr. 1, 2020 | $20,000 |
| Asian Environmental Association – HUA Foundation | Apr. 1, 2020 | $64,660 |
| BILAL Community & Family Centre | Aug. 15, 2020 | $40,000 |
| Calgary Animated Objects Society | Aug. 1, 2020 | $40,000 |
| Centre for Democracy and Development | Oct. 22, 2018 | $49,420 |
| The Centre For Israel And Jewish Affairs | Sep. 1, 2020 | $38,000 |
| Côté, Catherine | Mar. 22, 2020 | $8,000 |
| Chun, Wendy H.K. | Apr. 1, 2020 | $20,000 |
| CIVIX | Nov. 15, 2018 | $23,000 |
| Colasante, Tyler | Jan. 1, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Concordia University | Oct. 1, 2020 | $39,270 |
| Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, David Jones | Dec. 17, 2019 | $49,916 |
| David Morin, Marie-Ève Carignan | Dec. 4, 2020 | $44,838 |
| Digital Public Square | Mar. 1, 2020 | $679,176 |
| Evans, Jennifer V. | Apr. 1, 2020 | $20,000 |
| Fleerackers, Alice L. | Jan. 1, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Gingras, Marie-Pier | Jan. 1, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Grisdale, Sean E. | Jan. 1, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Hodson, Jaigris N. | Apr. 1, 2020 | $20,000 |
| Institute For Canadian Citizenship | Mar. 24, 2020 | $490,880 |
| Institute For Democracy, Media & Culture | Jul. 27, 2020 | $35,750 |
| Institute On Governance | Oct. 1, 2020 | $100,000 |
| International Republican Institute | Mar. 15, 2019 | $2,973,531 |
| Internews Network | Mar. 19, 2020 | $3,172,323 |
| IRIS Communications | Oct. 1, 2020 | $99,500 |
| JHR – Journalists for Human Rights | Jun. 1, 2019 | $250,691 |
| JHR – Journalists for Human Rights | Jul. 14, 2020 | $1,479,856 |
| Ketchum, Alexandra D. | Mar. 22, 2020 | $23,455 |
| Kingdom Acts Foundation | Sep. 1, 2020 | $70,500 |
| Lavigne, Mathieu | Jan. 1, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Lennox, Rebecca | Jan. 1, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Macewan University | Nov. 1, 2020 | $69,000 |
| Mack, Amy C. | Jan. 1, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Magazines Canada | May 15, 2019 | $63,000 |
| Manchester Metropolitan University | Feb. 1, 2020 | $214,837 |
| Matthews, Kyle | Apr. 20, 2020 | $33,377 |
| McLevey, John V.P. | Apr. 1, 2020 | $20,000 |
| Moisse, Katie | Mar. 22, 2020 | $13,417 |
| Nathalie Furrer | Aug. 10, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Nelson, Kim A. | Mar. 22, 2020 | $24,498 |
| Neubauer, Robert J. | Jan. 1, 2020 | $10,000 |
| PeaceGeeks Society | Nov. 11, 2015 | $46,200 |
| Pennycook, Gordon R. | Apr. 1, 2020 | $20,000 |
| QuantSpark Foundation | Feb. 26, 2020 | $1,155,622 |
| Rupantar | Oct. 28, 2018 | $24,996 |
| Ruslan Stefanov, Director, | Jul. 3, 2018 | $15,000 |
| Ryerson University | Apr. 1, 2019 | $290,250 |
| Ryerson University | Jan. 1, 2020 | $225,300 |
| Ryerson University | Sep. 18, 2020 | $97,407 |
| Science North | Sep. 1, 2020 | $40,000 |
| Simon Fraser University | Jan. 19, 2019 | $28,750 |
| Simon Fraser University – Int’l Cybercrime Research | Oct. 1, 2020 | $96,600 |
| Taylor, Emily | Jan. 1, 2020 | $33,250 |
| Trybun | Jan. 21, 2019 | $7,114 |
| Young, Hilary A.N. | Apr. 1, 2020 | $20,000 |
| York University | Nov. 1, 2020 | $99,956 |
This is what your tax dollars go towards. Check this link for general disinformation grants, this for propaganda, and this one for specific CV-19 disinfo grants. It’s worth pointing out that for much of the research, even though it may not list the “pandemic” specifically, the information learned could still be applied to it. Besides, the dates are pretty suspicious.
As discussed here, some “fact checking” groups like CIVIX and Journalists for Human Rights have extensive political ties, which call into question anything they do produce.
Another updated list is available from Newswire. Nice to see someone else addressing it.
3. Ryerson University’s Social Media Lab
As the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to spread across the world, so too does the flow of information and misinformation related to the virus. In a recent announcement by the Government of Canada, external link, researchers at the Ted Rogers School of Management’s Social Media Lab, in collaboration with researchers at Royal Roads University, received funding to examine the spread of digital misinformation related to the coronavirus. The study seeks to mitigate the spread of misinformation, stigma and fear through education.
The study, Inoculating Against an Infodemic: Microlearning Interventions to Address CoV Misinformation, will be a two-year study that aims to develop online learning interventions to improve people’s knowledge, beliefs and behaviours related to COVID-19.
Researchers at the Social Media Lab have already created a portal, external link designed to track and combat misinformation related to COVID-19.
Ryerson University has started a 2 year program designed to track “misinformation” trends, and to look for ways to counter it online. Of course, if it contradicts the official narrative, it must be tracked and countered.
4. Concordia University’s Disinfo Research
The event will be livestreamed on the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies’ Facebook and YouTube pages.
The Canadian Coalition to Counter COVID Digital Disinformation is a project organized by the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies with funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Digital Citizens Initiative. The team is working to enhance Canadian citizens’ digital literacy and resiliency as they come in contact with misinformation and disinformation relating to COVID-19.
As part of this work, a series of digital townhalls will be held on issues like foreign interference, conspiracy theories and fake news. Stay tuned for more events hosted on these topics.
Concordia took nearly $40,000 to undertake this effort in researching and ultimately combating “misinformation”. Note: institutions like this never seem to question whether the narratives they push is itself fake news. It’s comical.
5. Financing Your Own Brainwashing
Not only does the Government donate to newspapers, periodicals, and other media, but it finances research into combatting misinformation. What this (really) means is that finding ways to prevent the truth from coming out.
And if that doesn’t work, Government can just pass laws to ban opinions it doesn’t like. This has been proposed for nearly a year now. Be aware, that if the efforts fail with the various Government programs, it’s possible different views will just be legislated away.
(1) https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/online-disinformation/digital-citizen-contribution-program.html
(2) https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/online-disinformation/digital-citizen-contribution-program.html#a2
(3) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/
(4) https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/ongoing-support-for-research-and-media-literacy-projects-as-canada-continues-to-fight-online-disinformation-816455316.html
(5) https://canucklaw.ca/cv-46-dominic-leblanc-proposes-law-to-ban-misinformation-about-virus/
Fake news should be called common sense news .. the politicians hate when their covers are blown.. that’s the entire point isn’t it!?