Canada Allocates $1.9 Million for Projects to Fight Russian ‘Disinformation’ - Heritage Ministry

OTTAWA (Sputnik) - The Canadian government will allocate C$2.4 million (US$1.9 million) in funding to projects intended to fight Russian so-called disinformation regarding the conflict in Ukraine, the Heritage Ministry said in a statement.

"The Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez, and the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, Dominic LeBlanc, today announced over $2.4 million in funding for projects that will help citizens determine for themselves what is fact and what is fiction online. Most of these projects will focus on fighting Russian disinformation in the face of its unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine," the statement said Thursday.

The government believes that Canadian citizens should have access to multiple sources of information for them to form their own opinions, the statement added, while saying this is part of any "healthy democracy."

Rodriguez considers that Canadians most valuable tool is to be "armed with facts" as they face constant "disinformation" regarding the conflict in Ukraine.

"These projects will give Canadians skills and tools to tell fact from fiction online," Rodriguez said as quoted by Canadian Heritage, adding that society gets along better when everyone shares common facts.

The announcement answers to a proposal from March 2022, to come up with civilian projects promoting digital literacy through the Digital Citizen Initiative (DCI), by various means such as but not limited to workshops and documentaries.