Deepfake Drama Rocks Calgary: What a Court Order Means for Your Trust in Local News
The Scene
For years, a particular narrative has been swirling through Calgary's digital channels, championed by local social media personality Brad Celmainis, known to many as @ABCyyc and now @BradCelmainis on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky. This story, as Celmainis has consistently highlighted, involves serious allegations against former Alberta Justice Minister Jonathan Denis and Calgary businessman Craig Chandler. In late September 2022, videos emerged on social media, purportedly showing Denis and Chandler performing racist Indigenous caricatures. Initially, Denis issued a statement acknowledging a lack of recollection but offering an unreserved apology if the videos were "real events" from years ago, implying alcohol's influence. However, the narrative quickly shifted. Both Denis and Chandler soon claimed the videos were fakes, submitting what they asserted was proof of deepfake manipulation. This set the stage for a legal battle that has just seen a significant local development: in September 2023, the Alberta Court of King's Bench signed an order declaring the videos in question "not authentic," based on an affidavit filed in an undefended action where an expert testified to deepfake manipulation.
What's Changing
This ruling from the Alberta Court of King's Bench might seem like a clear-cut victory for those claiming deepfake fabrication, but the reality for everyday Calgarians trying to discern truth from fiction is far more complex. While the court order affirmed the videos were not authentic based on expert testimony, CBC News, in its reporting, highlighted a crucial counterpoint: other experts they consulted concluded that making such definitive determinations regarding deepfake manipulation is incredibly difficult. Their sentiment? "Claims of falsity in situations like this are hard to prove because the technology is debatable, even unreliable — and hints at a more significant problem to come." This isn't just a legal nuance; it's a stark warning about the media landscape we're all navigating. The sheer volume of deepfake content is exploding – it's been doubling every six months, with projections soaring from half a million in 2023 to an estimated 8 million globally by 2025. This exponential growth means that differentiating between genuine and manipulated content is becoming a daily challenge for everyone, from those scrolling through their feeds on X or Bluesky to dedicated news consumers.
The Neighborhood Vibe
So, how does this high-stakes legal and technological drama ripple down to your average Calgarian, whether you're commuting down Deerfoot or grabbing a coffee in Mission? The concrete impact is profound: it's chipping away at our collective trust in what we see, hear, and read. With the proliferation of manipulated media, including deepfakes, the crisis of media credibility isn't some distant problem; it's here, in our city, affecting our ability to critically evaluate local news, political statements, and even viral social media posts. Can you really trust that video clip circulating about a city council candidate, or that audio from a community meeting? This environment fosters skepticism and confusion, making it harder for Calgarians to form informed opinions on local civic issues and engage meaningfully in our democracy. It means we all have to work harder, be more discerning, and constantly question the authenticity of the digital information that shapes our understanding of our community.
Looking Ahead
The good news is that Alberta isn't entirely asleep at the wheel. While our provincial legislation from 2017 addressing the non-consensual sharing of intimate images doesn't specifically cover AI-generated or altered content, the provincial government has acknowledged the burgeoning threat posed by deepfake technology. They've indicated a commitment to modernizing and strengthening privacy protections for Albertans in response. For now, the onus is on us, the citizens of Calgary, to remain vigilant. The story of the former Justice Minister's videos and the subsequent court order serves as a potent local reminder that the digital world is increasingly a hall of mirrors. As we move forward, navigating this complex landscape will require a heightened sense of media literacy and a healthy dose of skepticism to ensure that we're making decisions based on truth, not deepfakes.
