How social media is killing democracy
April 14, 2025
Tracey Saxby
We’re living in an age of information—and disinformation.
Social media was supposed to bring people together, but instead it’s being weaponized to divide us. Algorithms are designed to amplify outrage, and it's hard to tell truth from conspiracy.
With a federal election looming, the stakes have never been higher. Canada's democracy is under attack. Disinformation divides our communities, erodes public trust, and makes it harder for voters to make informed choices.
What is disinformation?
Disinformation is false information that is deliberately shared in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth.
Misinformation refers to false information that is shared without the malicious intent to mislead. Often, the person sharing it doesn't realize that the information is false.
I first became interested in how disinformation works when a smear campaign used "hot button" issues like parking and taxes to attack local elected leaders in Squamish. The fake grassroots groups were traced back to right-wing operatives including Canada Proud and Angelo Isidouro (Executive Director of the Conservative Party of British Columbia). My Sea to Sky also exposed Woodfibre LNG's attempt to undermine democracy through Squamish Forward.
How do social media algorithms work?
Social media makes money by showing you ads. When a post elicits an emotional response from you, you're more likely to click on it, which means more advertising revenue. Ka-ching!
As early as 2011, Eli Pariser warned us about online "filter bubbles" where we get trapped in an echo chamber based on our likes and dislikes. He noticed that his social media feed stopped sharing posts from friends with different points of view because he didn't click those links as much. This means we only get shown content that reinforces our worldview and personal biases.
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, Reddit, and TikTok—all have algorithms designed to keep you addicted to maximize their profits.
Once you click a link—let's say you like a photo of a cute puppy—social media algorithms will respond by showing you more photos of cute puppies. Suddenly your social media feed is all about cute puppies. There's a funny meme about how dogs are better than cats. Then there are posts talking about how cats are stealing dog jobs, and taking dog homes, and OMG we need to build a wall to stop all the cats!!! Now your feed is filled with targeted hate against cats, often disguised as funny memes.
Sound familiar? I'm not really talking about cats and dogs here.
Private profit over the public good
Whistleblowers have warned that Facebook (which is owned by Meta, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp) is putting its profits before the public good.
Investigative reporter, Carole Cadwaller, wrote in 2020 that "Facebook is out of control." Disinformation is rampant as "Meta ushers in a world without facts." Meta has blocked news outlets in Canada and ended fact-checking in the U.S.
Meta's algorithms are causing people harm, targeting vulnerable youth, fostering hate, inciting riots and genocide, and undermining democracies around the world.
But it's not just Meta. X (aka Twitter) was the epicenter of disinformation in the leadup to the U.S. election in 2024. TikTok has been declared a "National Security Risk" in Canada. YouTube is a major conduit of disinformation, and moderators have warned misinformation is unmanageable on Reddit.
How social media has been weaponized
If you haven't watched it already, check out The Great Hack on Netflix. This tells the story of how Cambridge Analytica weaponized social media to undermine democracies around the world—including how they helped elect Trump in the US in 2016, and forced Brexit in the UK in 2020.
Powerful corporations (including Big Oil & Gas) and hostile foreign governments are pumping millions into PR firms, fake grassroots groups, and social media ads designed to mislead the public.
They use your data to create a psychological profile, and then target you with ads designed to influence your vote.
This is pscyhological warfare. Facebook is a weapon.
Add in AI bots that flood social media to influence public opinion, and sophisticated deep fakes and it's hard to tell fact from fiction.
This is what we're up against.
What can you do?
👉 Get informed. Watch the Great Hack to learn how disinformation spreads and who's behind it.
👉 Become a critical thinker. Question what you see online, especially on social media. Look for credible references.
👉 Vote! Advance voting begins on April 18, and election day is April 28. MAKE A PLAN TO VOTE!
*******
This election is critical. We've seen how democracy is under attack in the U.S. Now Trump is threatening Canada's sovereignty.
We need to stand together and defend what we value as Canadians.
Our democracy is worth defending.
Tracey Saxby
Executive Director
My Sea to Sky
My Sea to Sky is incredibly proud and grateful to say that we rely on the My Sea to Sky community for small donations that provide the majority of our funding. Since our launch in 2014, we have been funded through personal savings, family and friends; and powered by the passion of our volunteers. Your generous contribution will help us to run our critical campaigns to defend, protect, and restore Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound. Can you chip in?