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News & Events Event Reports

Sixth Global Summit: Digital Resilience, Disinformation and Local Governance

Publication Date:
22/01/2026
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digital resilienceDisinformationSixth Global SummitToronto

— 8 minutes reading time

This report provides a summary of discussions during the session and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Strong Cities Network Management Unit, Strong Cities members, event sponsors or participants.

Introduction

On 9 – 11 December 2025, the Strong Cities Network held its Sixth Global Summit in Toronto (Canada), bringing together more than 300 representatives of local governments, national governments, civil society organisations, academia, the private sector and international organisations. This included nearly 60 elected and/or appointed city leaders and 110 other local government officials, together representing 100 cities from 42 countries across the world.

The Summit agenda included a parallel session on Digital Resilience that reflected on growing concern among cities that online spaces are increasingly shaping community relations, public trust and perceptions of safety, with direct implications for social cohesion, polarisation and democratic governance.

Bringing together local government officials, civil society experts and national-level representatives, the discussion explored how misinformation, disinformation and online harassment are affecting local leaders and communities, and what digital resilience means in practice for municipalities of different sizes and capacities.

Speakers:

Key Takeaways

  1. Digital threats – particularly misinformation and disinformation – are increasingly transnational, fast-moving and detached from local realities, limiting the ability of municipalities to respond in isolation.
  2. Local governments can no longer treat online abuse and misinformation as peripheral issues. Online hate, harassment and disinformation are now core governance risks for local officials. Social media accelerates and amplifies false narratives – often outpacing governments’ ability to respond – directly affecting elections, public trust and officials’ personal safety.
  3. Digital resilience is not solely a technical challenge; it includes mental and emotional resilience, critical thinking, trust and community engagement. Access, belonging and the ability to question information are essential defences against online hate and manipulation.
  4. Local governments must adapt how they communicate and engage, meeting residents of all ages in the digital spaces where public life increasingly takes place.
  5. Local government partnerships, including those civil society, law enforcement, community organisations, libraries, universities and residents themselves, are essential to building effective digital resilience at the local level.

Key Themes 

1. The Impact of Online Disinformation and Harassment on Cities and Communities

Garth Frizzell, Councillor, City of Prince George (British Columbia, Canada, reflected on how local government actions can be rapidly misrepresented online, particularly when narratives are amplified by individuals or networks with no connection to the local context. He described how even routine or inclusive civic gestures can trigger disproportionate online backlash, illustrating how local decision-making is increasingly vulnerable to external digital dynamics.

This experience underscored a broader point echoed across the session: digital narratives shaping community tensions are often not locally generated. Speakers noted that misinformation and polarising content can quickly overwhelm municipal communication efforts, leaving cities reacting rather than shaping the narrative.

Harkirat Singh, Deputy Mayor, City of Brampton (Ontario, Canada), highlighted how persistent false narratives – particularly around immigration and identity – continue to circulate online despite being demonstrably inaccurate. He emphasised that such narratives erode trust and complicate local efforts to foster inclusion and cohesion.

2. Defining Digital Resilience

Participants emphasised that digital resilience operates across multiple levels: individual behaviour, community norms, institutional practice and platform governance. Shlomit Broder, CEO, Digital Public Square (Canada), framed digital resilience as the capacity to engage critically with information without defaulting to disengagement or cynicism, warning that a belief that nothing can be trusted is itself destabilising.

From a local governance perspective, speakers argued that digital resilience should be understood as an extension of community resilience. As public life increasingly unfolds online, municipalities have a role to play in ensuring that digital spaces are accessible, inclusive and supportive of democratic participation.

3. Engagement, Access and Meeting People Where They Are

Deputy Mayor Singh emphasised that traditional civic engagement models – such as town halls or formal consultations – often fail to reach a representative cross-section of residents. In contrast, digital platforms offer opportunities to broaden participation if used intentionally and inclusively.

Participants highlighted a number of ways in which local governments can engage residents in the digital space. These include adapting municipal websites for mobile access, using social media to disseminate timely and accurate information, and experimenting with digital tools for service delivery feedback and participatory decision-making. Speakers warned that without such adaptation, cities risk hearing primarily from the loudest or most digitally empowered voices.

Councillor Frizzell highlighted the role of libraries and other community third spaces as critical access points for digital resilience, particularly for residents experiencing homelessness or economic marginalisation. These spaces often provide residents with their only access to digital tools and information, positioning these spaces as frontline actors in community cohesion.

4. Personal Resilience and the Impact on Local Leaders

Beyond community impacts, speakers acknowledged the personal toll of online harassment on elected officials and public servants. Deputy Mayor Singh reflected on being targeted online earlier in his political career and described how sustained digital attacks can lead to withdrawal, self-censorship and self-doubt. Over time, he emphasised the importance of developing mental resilience – learning to distinguish between legitimate community feedback and online noise – while ensuring leaders are not left to manage this burden alone.

Speakers agreed that institutions have a responsibility to support both the safety and emotional well-being of local leaders, rather than framing digital harassment as an individual or security problem alone.

5. Partnerships as a Foundation for Digital Resilience

Jacques Colon, Director, City of Tacoma (Washington, United States), highlighted the importance of cross-sector partnerships, particularly with civil society organisations that are trusted by communities and have specialised expertise. He noted that such organisations can act as intermediaries in contexts where government institutions may be viewed with scepticism.

Another example mentioned was the partnership between the City of Prince George and Vivacity Technologies to develop VivaCitadel, a next-generationFreedom of Information platform. This collaboration illustrates how cities can work with private-sector partners to co-design digital solutions that improve transparency, accessibility and service delivery while embedding shared governance from the outset.

Participants further emphasised the role of collaborative, local governance models, including shared data and decision-making tools, to align municipal responses across departments and with external partners. The City of Tacoma highlighted its use of equity-focused data frameworks to ensure digital and policy interventions are grounded in shared evidence and values.

6. Youth, Marginalised Communities and the Future Digital Landscape

Speakers highlighted the challenge of engaging young people and marginalised communities, many of whom primarily connect through digital platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Participants stressed that adults cannot assume they can effectively speak on behalf of youth, and instead recommended youth-led advisory structures and youth-to-youth engagement. They also emphasised the importance of compensating participants for their time and addressing practical barriers, such as internet access, to ensure meaningful and equitable participation.

Looking ahead, speakers warned that emerging technologies – including AI-generated content and deepfakes – will further complicate the digital landscape and challenge local governments’ ability to protect communities and maintain trust. While acknowledging the potential benefits of predictive technologies for city infrastructure and service delivery, participants stressed the need for local governments to exercise caution in sensitive areas, such as public safety, where bias and unintended consequences could pose significant risks.

Next Steps

The discussion highlighted several areas where the Strong Cities Network can add value:

The session underscored that digital resilience is now a core governance challenge for cities, with direct implications for trust, inclusion and democratic stability. As online and offline realities continue to merge, local governments must adapt how they engage, communicate and partner with communities.

For the Strong Cities Network, the discussion reinforced the importance of addressing digital threats through a prevention lens – centring people, relationships and trust alongside technology. By strengthening local capacity, partnerships and community engagement, cities can better navigate the digital risks shaping their social cohesion today and, in the years ahead.

Additional Resources

Recent Strong Cities policy briefs and resources:

Donors & Partners

The Sixth Global Summit was co-hosted with the City of Toronto and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, and delivered with generous support from the Government of Canada, The Fourth Freedom Forum, The Toronto Foundation and Charities Aid Foundation.

Contact Information 

For more information about the Sixth Global Summit or the Strong Cities Network, please contact [email protected].

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