The Canadian government has decided to no longer support a European disinformation conference due to concerns about certain panel discussions labeling the U.S. government as a potential foreign interference threat. Global Affairs Canada (GAC) spokesperson, Samantha Lafleur, stated that the government objected to the framing of panels organized by EU DisinfoLab in Brussels.
Initially listed as sponsors of the conference, GAC, Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry, and the European External Action Service had their names covered up on conference signage in Vilnius, Lithuania. The French government remains a sponsor of the event.
In response to inquiries, Lafleur mentioned that GAC opted to revise its involvement in the conference sessions following modifications to the panel discussions’ framing. GAC did not provide specific details on the concerns or whether the U.S. had raised objections.
Additionally, a GAC official withdrew from chairing a session on Arctic disinformation, where the discussion was set to include the role of the United States as a foreign information manipulation actor in certain Arctic contexts.
Ben Shultz of the American Sunlight Project, a presenter at the conference, expressed surprise at the withdrawals of three governments and speculated on potential external pressures. Despite these setbacks, all scheduled speakers attended the event, highlighting the resilience of the research community.
The European External Action Service announced the removal of its logo from conference materials due to disagreements with the program’s content framing. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry and conference organizers did not provide comments on the matter.
This decision by Canada coincides with reports of meetings between individuals advocating for Alberta independence and U.S. entities, some of which occurred in U.S. State Department offices in Washington, D.C. last year. Lafleur affirmed Canada’s commitment to combatting disinformation and misinformation, emphasizing the country’s dedication to collaborating with partners on this issue.
