Canada’s 2025 federal election has been flooded by an unprecedented wave of AI-generated content, making it the most “dystopian” campaign the country has ever seen, according to researchers. Aengus Bridgman of the Ontario-based Media Ecosystem Observatory, speaking to The Canadian Press, said the explosion of artificial intelligence–produced memes, deepfake videos, and false news impersonations filled the online gap left by the removal of legitimate news sources on platforms like Facebook.
Despite the surge in sophisticated disinformation, Bridgman, a professor at McGill University, said there is little evidence that voters have been significantly swayed. Canadians, he noted, have become increasingly aware of deepfakes, foreign interference, and online manipulation compared to past elections. “We don’t have any evidence yet that Canadians are being manipulated or were convinced of things that are not true,” Bridgman said, while still cautioning that the risk remains high.
The information vacuum stems largely from the Online News Act (Bill C-18), which became law in 2023 and led tech giants like Meta to pull Canadian news from their platforms. In the absence of credible journalism, AI systems have generated content posing as legitimate news, promoting everything from fraudulent cryptocurrency investments to political misinformation. Some AI-driven posts even repurposed old Facebook buy-and-sell pages to advocate for controversial causes like Canada’s “51st state” annexation.
Responding to criticism, Meta spokesperson Julia Perreira defended the company’s election safety efforts, highlighting a $30 billion investment in content moderation and partnerships with Elections Canada. However, researchers observed a major shift to newer platforms like TikTok and Bluesky during the campaign, where political narratives varied sharply depending on the platform, deepening Canada’s political divides. Engagement patterns showed Conservatives performing better on X and Instagram, while Liberals dominated Bluesky.
The Media Ecosystem Observatory, founded during Canada’s 2019 election, monitored around 5,000 accounts this cycle, spanning Canadian politicians, American influencers, news outlets, and podcasters. Bridgman warned that while Canadians have been resilient so far, the fragmentation of online discourse could leave lasting scars. “I’m very concerned about the online information ecosystem,” he said. “We’re kind of in an interesting moment.”
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