By Canadian Press

Emergencies Act inquiry to hear from experts on misinformation, social media

Nov 29, 2022 | 3:03 AM

OTTAWA — A public inquiry is turning its attention to the role of online misinformation this morning as it continues probing Ottawa’s use of emergency legislation to quell last winter’s “Freedom Convoy” protests.

The Public Order Emergency Commission is slated to begin the day with a panel of policy experts on misinformation, disinformation and the role of social media. 

Another panel on the flow of essential goods and services, critical infrastructure and trade corridors is set to follow in the afternoon. 

The inquiry is seeking the expert input to bolster its analysis of whether the federal government was right to use the Emergencies Act in response to protests that took over downtown Ottawa and halted trade at several border crossings.

The policy phase this week follows six weeks of fact-finding hearings into the events leading up to that decision, which included testimony about online threats and U.S. officials’ concerns about trade.

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The commission is on a tight timeline to complete its work, with Commissioner Paul Rouleau expected to submit final recommendations to Parliament at the beginning of February.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 29, 2022.

The Canadian Press