The anti-mask movement is not unique to Quebec, nor are masks the only source of conflict in the country when it comes to public health directives around the novel coronavirus. But the issue is one of several at the heart of a growing online movement of disinformation around the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.
His research team surveyed nearly 2,500 people and examined 620,000 English-language Twitter accounts, but Bridgman said COVID-19 misinformation also spreads on other social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram and Tumblr. Bridgman said the speed at which these conspiracy theories circulate online makes it difficult to verify where they originate. And while some right-wing groups in Canada are pushing these falsehoods, Bridgman said people across the political spectrum are vulnerable to them.
Another protester, 65-year-old Antonio Pietroniro, said the pandemic was “bogus” and warned that, after making masks mandatory, the government would force people to get vaccinated against the virus.
And is that true for Australia? Seems they are living some of your so called 'conspiracies'
Less than 10 deaths a day for the last month is not a health crisis
Does that include the theory that HCQ doesn't work?
If people believe something that's wrong and it gets them killed, that solves that problem
No. MSM is creating the crisis.
Very simple! Anyone who is against mask needs to sign an agreement that she/he won’t get health care service if they get infected with covid-19 , and they also have to take the responsibility for transmitting this virus to other people!
😢
This phony little opportunistic brat is an EXPERT? The path to fame and fortune is to write a book debunking something- anything. And you fools are only to eager to give them press.
It’s the truth and the media is trying to hide it becasue they are part of the lie
Seems like they swapped out the Flue numbers as Covid numbers and then fluffed them up with tons of mortalities that were caused by other conditions. So there’s that issue.
You are rabid propaganda-spreading leftists. Not many take you seriously. You are shamelessly and arrogantly disconnected from reality. I wish I could cancel my subscription again but already did that.
Stick it. You’re calling yourself out. You’re quite clearly one of the biggest problems.
I think the Canadian media and piliticians are deliberately lie to people and exaggerating the mild Covid virus to social engineer Canada. You can therorize all you want about moves but Covid messures are unwarranted.
Well maybe if liberals and conservatives hadn't mishandled the pandemic, causing thousands of deaths as a result. Not demanding face coverings of the public from the very beginning because they didn't keep up the strategic PPE stockpile was criminal sociopathic behavior.
how many people would jave no problems wearing masks if that was all you had to do to reopen everything immediately?
Yep, but not any moreso than the fear mongering and false reporting of cases by the media & governments... U live how you feel safe, I'll do the same and we just leave eachother alone...
This lunacy has to be stopped! I’m in favour of arresting and charging these people... they are endangering public health, and our economy!
Yeah I like masks work
JustinTrudeau CPHO_Canada Trudeau & Tam fault. Mismanaged info! Should have made masks, physical distancing mandatory right away, be done with it. Can't make decisions. Waver to few, squeeky wheel. By Trudeau & Liberals. Soon we will have no police/prisons either! 🤔 .
No.. fake news and the fake pandemic creating Havoc
If MSM would report the truth it wouldn't be an issue!
What do you expect to happen when you lock society away in there homes, with limited outside contact but 24/7 access to the internet! This is in no way surprising, in fact it was downright predictable... especially when the experts flip flop daily!
The Left using fear to divide the nation and this story to discourage you from questioning the government and learning the truth. It says that you should not use social media to get your news, instead listen to the Leftist propaganda machine.
No, actually government incompetence and poor public policies are the cause of this 'public health crisis'. -EXPERTS
With the media blatantly and constantly lying about stories they write, facts and the government misrepresenting case numbers by inflation, how can any logically thinking person believe anything or make an informed decision. There has been too many lies from all sides
Criticizing people for getting information from social media in a tweet on social media!! 🤔
Lotta BS I agree, but when U have a provincial populace such as NS's that adhered 2 the health advice, accomplishing getting cases to zero / no thanks 2 masks / then kick them in the balls with mandatory masks with the option of a $ 1,000 fine pisses people off royally, me incl.
You mean the experts that flip flop on their suggestions every half an hour and are mandating mask almost a year after outbreak? My cat knows as much about virology than Tam.
Yeah experts who want to push censorship....
How stupid can people be?!
Thank heavens folks like ezralevant and the fools on the AltRight platform, as well as a few CPC_HQ members have created this atmosphere!
I wonder why there could be 'conspiracy theories' when our governement is insistant on blocking the truth? Why have you not written on this story? 🤔
Ya stop the fake pandemic would be a great start
never spending any $$$ on any canadian newspaper ever - this is a prime example of why
So when are you gonna pull out the zombie card? You're pretty close🍿🍿🍿🍿
Fake news is a bigger public health threat.
The fact that so many people don’t trust the government should be the real story.
I like how all the news media org. push out the same bullshit in unison. Propaganda experts.
So, let me get this straight. It hasn't been isolated but theres a test for it? Lol. The pcr test results in 80%+ false positive results. This is absolute bullshit what's been done to Canadians. The lies and economic devastation are based on total fraud and lies. Shame on you!
Usually I like the NP but this article is garbage. Is this a paid Katie Telford op-Ed? Are people no longer able to use critical thinking skills to question the “experts”? The government and WHO have been inconsistent from the start and have lost the trust of the people!
The problem is that government/media have eroded their trustworthiness in the public eye.
so are corrupt politicians
Twitter, Facebook and Google all censor frontline medical doctors for speaking out, while at the same time protect, promote and give a platform to a tech billionaire to talk about medical advice, and you hacks call it a conspiracy? 😂 This is why your industry is dying.
Fugg, what experts. In Canada “expert opinion” is for sale. A montage of various tv pundits “expert opinion” has them invariably stating polar opposites, contradicting themselves and yet they blunder along and find new platforms for their arrogant “opinions”. Facemasks don’t work
Millennial twits are causing the problem especially the black ones who think they are invincible partying together in the hundreds using trenches as toilets! Nobody else really, so just say it!
Sure.
I stopped trusting MSM when they failed to report on covert intelligence operations and wars initiated by Western states based on lies. Investigative journalism is dead. Your outlet and countless others are the propaganda arm of the state, the banks, and corporations.
14 days to flatten the curve...One person of school age has died ...
Everyone replying so far has valid points. Can't trust media because they don't tell the whole story. Can't trust government, they are involved in so many scandals, their credibility gone. You can't shop without mask, but you can protest. Where does leave us?
'Expert' is now used as 'Hilarious' was to the Louis CK skit. Overused and inaccurate lol
Continuous flip flopping from the ‘experts’ over the past few months create this. The only ‘experts’ that apparently exist today are the ones who have the ‘social license’ to be one from the progressive left.
Maybe because they waited 6 months to demand people wear masks? We were advised NOT to wear them at the beginning. Every edict issued originally seems designed to spread the disease, not halt it, I.e. open borders, no masks, allowing unvented refugees to cross at Roxham Road, etc
Would these be the Trudeau experts trying to defend vaccine development in interests of huge profits for the likes of Bill Gates who is heavily invested in vaccine development? conspiracytheories COVID19
I stopped reading at “And while some right-wing groups in Canada are pushing these falsehoods...” Add in left-wing CNN and others, waffling health experts, numbers and percentages that are questionable, what chance do we have?
Politicians the Media and so called Experts
Versus what, a FEAR campaign by the media and Government?
We live in an age where opinion trumps proof
This article should have omitted the words 'conspiracy theories'. These two words along with cherry picking articles, studies, reporters, politicians etc...is what I term 'the great divide'
CPHO_Canada
Hmmm. Seems like anything that is counter to MSM these days is now a conspiracy theory...🤔
Come on National Post. Do better.
These conspiracy theories have been introduced by the National Post. That is because the NP is not independent of gov policy. They appear to be online enforcers and bullies rather than journalists. Very sad that Canada's has become so destitute.
Cancelled963 The only conspiracy theorists I know are the public health officials and the media who gives them a voice.
Not all the protesters walking through the streets shoulder to shoulder they aren't part of the problem just the covid deniers
A perfect example of the garbage called cancel culture. If you don't agree with a leftist, they shut down any debate/discussion as for them, there is no room for an alternate viewpoint.
Is this a news media or a propaganda outlet? COVID19
Thinking this is a naturally-occurring virus is more of a 'conspiracy theory' than the idea that Chinese researchers manipulated a non-infectious bat virus.
The real tragedy that goes unmentioned in this article is the utter lack of trust in the media as a source of facts. Aligning yourselves along political lines means large swaths of the population question your motives. Social media empowers those who seek unbiased news.
Ah mass protests are creating a public health crisis. No one seems to want to address that.
More bullying of free speech by Canada's government managed corporate marketing department. How are such offensive posts not similar to Nazi propaganda? COVID19 Canada
WHO covered up facts and lied early on to protect China’s image. This was found out to be true, and not a conspiracy. They also recommended against wearing masks (so there wasn’t a run on them) and then changed their position.
twitter fakenews
When federal health officials were so obviously full of shit from the beginning what do you expect?
Cancelled963 Nothing more than another Liberal media troll poll on behalf of the PMO to see if Canadians are more open to Trudeau’s censorship agenda.
But who’s too blame for the misinformation? Mainstream Media and Politicians of every stripe have been wrong about Covid 19 especially during the onset. It literally took months for the JustinTrudeau government to realize seriousness of the situation.
“My body, my choice” good on you making YOUR choice ... ‘our health care no treatment’ seems like a fare deal for the national health care plan!
I think this is what happens when Canadians for quite legitimate reasons stop trusting the “experts”, our politicians, and the mainstream media. COVID19 COVIDIOTS
Trandlation: Questioning of the government's inept handling and flip flopping, threatens government's control over Canadians. Shhhhh.. go back to sleep. 🤪
nytimes FoxNews CDCgov CPHO_Canada realDonaldTrump JustinTrudeau Conspiracy or not, no one really cares, but experts CDCgov CPHO_Canada and mainstream media lost the basic sense on the issues of face masks and HCQ safety , which make CDCgov CPHO_Canada lost trusts.
'Experts' code talk for Liberal propagandists sucking the government teat whilst stealing from the Canadian taxpayer.
No, YOU are creating a public health crisis. When you refuse to report thousands of doctors who say the opposite of what you report on hydroxychloroquine, that’s all the proof you need.
I've got my doubts this story is true 🙄 how did the city even allow a crowd to gather
Conspiracies arise when the rules are set, then a jackass like JT goes to a BLM rally and shows all the rules are bs
I don’t understand what conspiracy. Actual Fact. We are listening to Tedros the Director of WHO , even though he is not a Dr. As health Minister in Ethiopia has 3 cover ups. Bill Gates also not a Dr. Yet he was here telling hundreds of mayors what to do. People need to be asking
'Researchers say conspiracy theories around COVID-19 are spreading at an alarming rate across the country' Kinda like the cooked up Covid death numbers.
Conspiracy No one is buying what you are selling Politicians not doctors are in charge and anyone who thinks any politician cares about you is dillusional More death is coming and Bill 7 not covid19 is going to be the huge culprit in a month when we are in lockdown again
The National Post should report age and comorbidity for each COVID-19 death. Perhaps then people wouldn't feel manipulated by 'medical experts' and the state funded press.
Mainstream media fear-mongering and BS is causing a mental health crisis and an economic crisis.
I think we need a stronger response than simply trying to educate people and hoping that Facebook does the right thing
HeyThat02501315 In Ontario, they fine 880 to family for rollerblading (ALL from same household, no interaction with others), but let hundreds, thousands of these protesters mingle right in front of QP. How come?
Give me a break.
COVID deniers are a problematic demographic that spread vile misinformation that endangers lives. They need to be identified and removed from society to ensure our safety and compliance with COVID protocols. Many are on the far right and should be investigated for terror.
NP: you wrote a fairly balanced Covid article the other day. then put out this garbage today. c'mon try to be more consistent. just because people aren't subserviently wearing masks, and/or nodding sheep-like to whatever the 'experts' say doesn't mean they're conspirators.
What crisis? The virus is real. The 'epidemic' is not. The hype is insane. We had no hype for any other pandemic. Suddenly We're done for without some vaccine from China. No thanks.
The corporate press is the enemy of the people.
The shame is that the media keeps repeating “official” lies and conspiracy theories, to the point that no one can tell the difference anymore. At least Qanon doesn’t have the power to arrest me and take my money.
Start being consistent in the messaging and that would avoid these theories.
The media and government backed experts are committing crimes against humanity.
Wow I expected better from you
You forgot to mention the numbers. For example, as of yesterday NS has 4 cases & zero hospitalizations, and yet enacted a province wide mask mandate. It was supposed to be about the numbers so don't blame people when they notice politicians keep moving the goal post.
Bullshit propaganda. No one trusts Canada's msm. ChinaLiedPeopleDied
Wow, what a backslap to the msm, who can only blame themselves for creating the doubt in what people are fed for information!🤯 ...no doubt ‘the more a person relies on social media to learn about COVID-19, the more likely they are to be exposed to misinformation’!
when is someone going to care about the economic crisis?
I haven’t been able to see my dr in months, necessary physio was delayed by months. ER rooms were empty, but conspiracy theories are creating a crisis. Fuck off National Post.
how to write a propaganda story: 1. don't state sources use expert say or a source inside the white house says 2. don't provide any extra evidence just double down on your moralistic clickbait tittle 3. call anyone out that doesn't submit to your demands and morally evil and bad.
Trump QAnon conservatives who are deep down the conspiracy rabbit hole.
The truth would end all of the confusion. Then we could move on to the real crisis.
There’s no conspiracy. The numbers are going down. There is no reason to keep humans huddled like animals. Take off the masks, open things up. Period.
'experts'
Conspiracy Theory (specifically QAnon) is the other pandemic.
It doesn’t help that the numbers they report are misrepresented by polticians and MSM on a daily basis or that politicians and officials ignore their own advice without being challenged. Add to that the blatant politicization of the pandemic and it’s no really a surprise
Set them adrift on an ice floe then.
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