Digital Society Lab managing director speaks with parliamentary committee about misinformation research

On October 10, John McAndrews, the managing director of McMaster’s Digital Society Lab, spoke with the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics. John was invited to testify as part of the committee’s study of  the impacts of mis- and disinformation. 

In this testimony, John highlighted two of the Lab’s in-progress research projects:  its work to develop an algorithmic-based “early-warning system” to flag for human review potentially misleading claims circulating online; and its work to better understand what Canadians do—and do not—want their governments to do about the risks of online misinformation. 

Among his recommendations, John urged the committee to support “robust, sustainable, public support for research about misinformation and its effects in Canada.”  

View full transcript of the committee hearing.