Social Media in the Democratic Process

Geographic Level: Country

This forum explores how social media shapes public discourse, political engagement, and electoral participation in Canada, while addressing challenges like misinformation and polarization that impact democratic processes. Canadians discuss strategies to harness these platforms for informed civic dialogue and equitable representation.

Topics

Synthetic Voices: AI Personas & Fake Public Opinion (2 discussions)
“10,000 'people' agree with you. None of them exist.”
Who Gets Heard? Influence, Reach & Shadowbans (2 discussions)
“The algorithm is the gatekeeper. Shouldn’t we know what it's doing?”
Who Regulates the Feed? Platform Power & Public Interest (2 discussions)
“Is it time to treat platforms like utilities?”
Algorithms, Echo Chambers & Manufactured Consensus (3 discussions)
“What if your feed isn’t showing you the truth—but what it thinks you’ll agree with?”
Disinformation Campaigns & Civic Sabotage (3 discussions)
“It’s not debate—it’s deception.”
Anonymity, Real Names & Civic Accountability (3 discussions)
“Should you need ID to speak?”
Performative Activism vs Real Participation (3 discussions)
“Changing your profile pic isn’t the same as showing up.”
Content Moderation, Censorship & Civic Speech (4 discussions)
“Who decides what gets deleted—and what gets amplified?”
Political Advertising, Microtargeting & Dark Money Online (2 discussions)
“You saw one ad. Your neighbor saw the opposite. Welcome to targeted politics.”
Decentralized Platforms & Algorithm-Free Discussion (3 discussions)
“What if your social media feed was... in your control?”
Civic Media Literacy & Information Hygiene (4 discussions)
“Can you tell a lie from a lead?”
Building Democratic Social Platforms: What Would You Change? (3 discussions)
“Let’s build it better. What would a truly democratic feed look like?”