The federal government says part of the CBC's record $1.6-billion parliamentary funding this year will be used to "combat disinformation," though neither Heritage Canada nor the public broadcaster has explained what that work will involve.An April 13 Department of Canadian Heritage briefing note, Reinforcing CBC, says the government is considering changes to modernize the CBC's mandate, including a role in addressing misinformation."The government is exploring options to modernize CBC's mandate," the briefing note states, listing "combating misinformation" among the objectives.Blacklock's Reporter said the Liberal government increased the CBC's annual parliamentary appropriation by another $150 million this year, bringing total federal funding for 2026 to approximately $1.6 billion.According to the briefing note, the additional funding "will enable the corporation to strengthen local news (and) combat disinformation."The document also states the increase is intended to "fully equip" the public broadcaster to combat disinformation, but does not define the term or explain what specific activities the CBC is expected to undertake.Questions about how the additional funding will be spent have remained unanswered.Earlier this year, the Parliamentary Budget Office said it was unable to determine how the CBC planned to use the extra $150 million after Heritage Minister Marc Miller advised that the corporation could not provide the requested information.The Heritage Department has also withheld details from the public. A 22-page briefing note obtained through Access to Information, titled Elements Of A Renewed Approach To Strengthen Canada's National Public Broadcaster, was released with portions censored.Separate departmental briefing notes show Ottawa views the CBC as playing a broader role in promoting Canadian identity..A Sept. 24 Heritage briefing note, Fostering Canadian Identity To Strengthen Our Sovereignty And Social Cohesion, described the public broadcaster as "a pillar of our cultural identity and a cornerstone of our sovereignty."The department argued Canada's sovereignty and cultural identity face increasing pressure from foreign digital platforms that are reshaping how Canadians consume news and entertainment."Despite these challenges, the CBC remains a pillar on which we can build our future, a vital institution," the briefing note states.The CBC has previously participated in online fact-checking initiatives.During the 2021 federal election, Facebook Canada designated the CBC as one of its fact-checking organizations responsible for reviewing content shared on the social media platform.Under Facebook's election integrity program, content rated false by approved fact-checkers had its distribution reduced, warning labels attached and users notified if they attempted to share or had previously shared the material.Facebook said fact-checkers could flag content they determined to be false, partly false, altered or lacking sufficient context. The platform also said it wanted users to identify organizations designated as news publishers as credible sources of information.
