(LifeSiteNews) — Canadians believe they can identify “fake news” online without help from federally employed “fact checkers.” 

According to in-house research by the Communications Security Establishment obtained March 19 by Blacklock’s Reporter, most Canadians distrust federal “fact checkers,” explaining that they can spot fake news online without being told what it true by the government.

“Everyone said they regularly see examples of disinformation online and felt it has escalated considerably in the last few years,” the report found. “Some spoke of social media as a place where they most often find disinformation.”  

The participants in federal focus groups also revealed that they feel apprehensive with the government “declaring what is true or not.” 

“Most participants said they feel confident they can tell the difference between real and false information you see on the internet, at least most of the time,” the report said.  

“A number of participants expressed reservations about the government presenting itself as an ‘authority’ on disinformation,” it continued. “These participants perceived the Government of Canada would be declaring what is true or not.”  

Recently, Canadians have increasingly expressed distrust in both the federal government and mainstream media. 

Distrust in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government comes as the scandal-plagued government has sent the Liberals into a nosedive in popularity with no end in sight.  

Per a recent LifeSiteNews report, according to polls, were a Canadian federal election held today, Conservatives under Pierre Poilievre would win a majority in the House of Commons over Trudeau’s Liberals. 

Similarly, many have accused the mainstream media of becoming nothing more than a propaganda mouthpiece for the Liberal government as their financial futures are seen as dependent upon continued public funding.  

Recent polling found that only one-third of Canadians consider mainstream media trustworthy and balanced.   

Similarly, a recent study by Canada’s Public Health Agency revealed that less than a third of Canadians displayed “high trust” in the federal government, with “large media organizations” as well as celebrities getting even lower scores.   

Large mainstream media outlets and “journalists” working for them scored a “high trust” rating of only 18 percent. That was followed by only 12 percent of people saying they trusted “ordinary people,” with celebrities receiving only an 8 percent “trust” rating.