Disinformation Survey – January 2026
CFUW women understand the growing impact of Disinformation.
Background: CFUW Guelph’s Advocacy Committee struck a working group in 2025 to prepare a Resolution regarding the topic of Disinformation for consideration by all Canadian clubs at the 2026 CFUW National Annual General Meeting.
A resolution is a formal motion proposing positive change about a current issue of provincial, national and/or international importance. If adopted, the resolution forms the framework for action and advocacy by the membership and by the National Office.
During the research phase, the working group developed a short survey to send to Guelph’s one hundred eighteen (118) active members. It would serve as an example of the general understanding of Disinformation amongst the broader CFUW membership, and guide the development of the resolutions, the background information and the implementation suggestions.
To ensure a high level of participation, the survey was limited to two narrative response questions and three checkbox (multiple response) questions and could take less than two minutes to complete. Respondents had seven days to submit their responses, and they were encouraged to offer their “off the top” responses, not to do research on the topic beforehand.
The survey was anonymous and internal survey settings allowed only one submitted response from an IP address and once the survey was completed it could not be changed.
Sixty-three (63) respondents opened the survey, and fifty-seven (57) surveys had all five questions answered. Sixty-one (61) surveys included answers to all three checkbox questions. Over 50% of the CFUW Guelph membership responded to the survey.
Questions
- What do you think of when you hear the term “Disinformation”?
- Is Disinformation a serious challenge to: Canada; You and your family; Society in General; None of the above; Other.
- Disinformation is spread by: Friends; TV News; Newspapers; Podcasts; Radio; Social Media; All of the above; Other.
- What area(s) does Disinformation impact: Climate change; Cultural issues; Education; Elections; Gender issues; Health decisions; Housing; Immigration; World Order; All of the above; Other.
- Who do you think benefits from Disinformation?
Survey Responses
What do you think of when you hear the term “Disinformation”?
(in no particular order – representative of 57 individual replies)
- Intentionally misleading
- Lies being presented as truth
- Information in the most extreme completely false but more insidiously exaggerated or false in part. Disinformation is often created for the benefit of either profit, bias, and political control. Disinformation is growing as algorithms target individuals and as individuals trust unchecked sources. The problem is growing.
- The dissemination of false information posing as fact via media, politicians, done to promote a preferred viewpoint
- Information that is false or misleading that is designed to be “truthful” in an effort to sway your opinion or change your knowledge base
- Statements made about an issue that are meant to mislead or misdirect the reader and at the same time bolster the argument or belief stated.
- Deliberately misleading with false information
- I think of information that is unedited, inaccurate, emotional, missing important details.
- Giving incorrect information on purpose or without regard for the truth
- Information that has been definitely altered totally …OR…changed from its original format and intended direction
Who do you think benefits from “Disinformation”?
(in no particular order – representative of 58 individual replies)
- Individuals, governments and associations that have a vested interest in keeping the truth from the public
- Anyone making a profit by driving activity to their site. People with fringe beliefs not based in science or the good of humanity looking for confirmation of their beliefs. People who want control of political, judicial and corporate entities for personal gain.
- No one…or perpetrators who want to enforce their “truth”
- Only the originator of the disinformation and their “allies”
- People in positions of power who wish to manipulate people.
- Those wanting to see the world and the proponents of disinformation the way they do. All it takes is for people to submit to the belief they don’t know what to think so they become part of the scam.
- The great variety of individuals and organizations and foreign entities that propagate disinformation for their own purposes… and tech companies financially
- Ultimately no one benefits. Disinformation is circulated purposely and unwittingly. and threatens democracy, and valid sources of information and journalism.
- Foreign governments benefit politically, companies benefit economically, individuals benefit if they can sway others to adopt their viewpoints.
- Bad actors in power who benefit from confusion and chaos and the undermining of democracy
Note: Responses listed after ‘All of the above’ or ‘None of the above” in the charts were individual responses in ‘Other’.