Inquiry Report Says Misinformation and Disinformation Played Clear Role in Convoy Protests

Commissioner Paul Rouleau presides over the Public Order Emergency Commission in Ottawa, on Nov. 23, 2022. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Social media served as an “accelerant” for the spread of impactful “misinformation and disinformation” during last winter’s protests of COVID-19 restrictions, says the report on the inquiry into the invocation of the Emergencies Act released on Feb. 17.

“I have no doubt that misinformation about COVID-19 influenced the views of some protesters and how they assessed the quality of government health measures,” wrote Commissioner Paul Rouleau.