“Younger Canadians hold a broader definition of what counts as news, are less likely to seek news out deliberately, and are more reliant on platforms where influencers dominate engagement. If the content they consume as news increasingly lacks the sourcing and verification standards of journalism, the informational inputs to their political awareness change—even if they do not perceive the shift,” the report said.

The reality is that American tech giants have already influenced the separatism debate. On YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, the threat to Canadian unity comes not only from American creators with massive audiences but from Canadians who have been rewarded by the algorithm.