Digital deception now a 'daily reality' for nearly half of Canadians, new survey reveals

TORONTO, Oct. 28, 2025 /CNW/ - A new survey from the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) reveals widespread concern among Canadians, with 88 per cent expressing concern about  AI-generated deception in the news. According to a recent nationwide survey released by the CJF and conducted by The Harris Poll Canada, encounters with misinformation cut across age groups and regions, with nearly half (47 per cent) of Canadians reporting that they encounter misleading or false information daily or several times weekly. Only 7 per cent of Canadians say that they "never" encounter misleading or false information online, while 17 per cent report encountering it daily and 30 per cent report seeing it several times a week.

Nearly nine in ten Canadians (88 per cent) say they are concerned about AI deception in the news, with over half (52 per cent) "very concerned." This concern spans age groups, but is most pressing among younger Canadians, who report the most frequent exposure to misleading and fabricated content.

Youth report highest risk
Younger Canadians (ages 18–34) are at the frontline of this digital wave. Nearly 60 per cent of Canadians aged 18–34 encounter deceptive content daily or weekly. Gen Z (57 per cent) reports the highest recognition of "fake news," with Boomers and older Canadians (39 per cent)  least likely to report encountering misleading content. For a generation shaping Canada's future, exposure to, and recognition of, misleading news is becoming the norm.

Trust in traditional media remains strong
Canadians continue to trust their established relationships when deciding who to believe. Three-quarters (75 per cent) of respondents stated that they have some trust in news from traditional Canadian news outlets, with 31 per cent expressing complete trust. By contrast, only 27 per cent expressed trust in social media platforms, indicating that Canadians understand the difference between journalism and platforms.

Deception takes varied formats
"Fake news" (56 per cent) and clickbait (51 per cent) top the list of types of digital deception commonly encountered by Canadians, followed by deepfakes/altered images (44 per cent) AI-manipulated content (43 per cent) and political disinformation: 40 per cent.

Quebec takes the lead in reported exposure
Quebecers report the highest levels of exposure to deceptive content, with 54 per cent reporting encounters with deepfakes or altered images – the highest numbers of any region. Contact from fake news organizations or personalities is significantly higher in Quebec (36 per cent). This may reflect heightened sensitivity to digital deception, or more concentrated targeting.

The public demands a whole ecosystem response
With 88 per cent of respondents concerned about digital deception, and 52 per cent "very concerned," Canadians are demanding a shared response to this risk, with responsibility shared by the federal government (60 per cent), individual Canadians (55 per cent) and other levels of government, social platforms and Internet providers also playing a role in mitigating harm.

"Digital deception is no longer an occasional problem – it has become normalized in the daily lives of Canadians, particularly in those of our youngest citizens," says Natalie Turvey, president and executive director of the Canadian Journalism Foundation. "When digital deception is a routine part of how a generation consumes information, we face a fundamental threat to informed citizenship and democratic discourse. The data reinforce that trust in journalism remains strong, but the public expects a coordinated response to protect our information ecosystem and safeguard our democracy."

Methodology

This survey was undertaken by The Harris Poll Canada. It ran overnight on Oct. 21, 2025, with 1,532 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Maru Voice Canada online panellists.

The results have been weighted by age, gender, region, and education (and in Quebec, language) to match the population, according to Census data. This is to ensure the sample is representative of the entire adult population of Canada.

For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of ±2.5%, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals when compared to the data tables are due to rounding.

Full data tables are available on the CJF's website.

About the Canadian Journalism Foundation

Established in 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation promotes, celebrates and facilitates excellence in journalism. The foundation runs a prestigious annual awards and fellowship program featuring an industry gala where news leaders, journalists and corporate Canada gather to celebrate outstanding journalistic achievement and the value of professional journalism. Through monthly J-Talks, a public speakers' series, the CJF facilitates dialogue among journalists, business people, academics and students about the role of the media in Canadian society and the ongoing challenges for media in the digital era. The foundation also fosters opportunities for journalism education, training and research.

SOURCE The Canadian Journalism Foundation

For further information: Natalie Turvey, President and Executive Director, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, E-mail: [email protected].