How do I verify documents etc. I share on social media

I sometimes share documents on social media, including screenshots, videos, posts, images, and links. Some of these documents come directly into my personal inbox. For example, an email from Starlink or a school board. Other documents are sent to me by others. How I authenticate these items depends on the nature of the item being shared. I never share anything that is covered by solicitor-client privilege, unless the client has authorized the release.

This is an easy one. I usually provide links to the legislation in question, which is available directly by a recognized government URL. If I don't provide the link, it's probably because it's readily available just by Googling it. 

If I share screenshots of an email, it's usually because I either received the email directly to my personal / public advocacy account, or had it forwarded to me by a reliable source who themselves received it. Sometimes I'll ask for the message ID. Of course, that can be invented as well, but that would be quite malicious from people I trust. If I have further reservations, I'll ask for an affidavit, but that would be rare.

Because of AI, I generally am reluctant to share videos as it's easy to manipulate them these days. Some videos are quite established and reliable that they need not be questioned, either because enough people witnessed the original event, or because the original source is or was reliable at the time of the capture. Most media sources, even though you may not like them, reliably share video. Although admittedly because of a recent BBC issue with Trump, even reliable media outlets now need to be vetted. I often will screen record videos of e.g. city council events, in which case the video can be obtained by asking for a copy from the municipality or government that held the meeting.

Some documents that I share have been obtained from Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Requests, or Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), either my own request or that of others. Usually these documents will have identifiers on them, showing that they were released from a government source. Sometimes I'll strip the ID because sharing the ATIP/FOIA number can impact future ATIP requests from the person who obtained out.

Sometimes a document or information I share is too sensitive to indicate where I got it from, or the person sharing it has requested that it be anonymized. This is quite rare. Again, such documents would never be subject to solicitor-client privilege. In cases where the source can't be published, I would create an internal reference number so I know I have verified its authenticity and can justify it if needed. If disclosure is warranted, I would provide it to a regulated professional (usually a lawyer or paralegal, but it could be any regulated professional in Canada who is subject to a Code of Conduct) who would agree to hold the document source information in escrow pursuant to any applicable terms that may be warranted.