New Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy launched at 黑料网爆吃瓜鈥檚 Max Bell School of Public Policy
The Centre is 黑料网爆吃瓜鈥檚 focal point on critical research and public debate about the role of media and emerging technologies in shaping democracy and public life
Implications of a Moratorium on Public Use of Facial Recognition Technology in Canada | Tech Informed Policy
August 17, 2020 | Since the start of this year, there have been increasing calls for the Canadian government聽to impose a national moratorium on facial recognition technology. This demand arises from the possibility that law enforcement will use facial recognition聽to discriminate against certain demographics and worsen discrimination in the justice system.
Algorithm 'gatekeepers' undermine democracy and health | Montreal Gazette
August 6, 2020 | Social media and other digital聽platforms have begun to overtake traditional journalism as our primary sources of information. The communications difficulties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have聽demonstrated how this trend will prove to have drastic consequences on the reliability of information in our democracies.
COVID-19: Social media users more likely to believe false information
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Montreal, July 29, 2020
A new study led by researchers at 黑料网爆吃瓜 finds that people who get their news from social media are more likely to have misperceptions about COVID-19. Those that consume more traditional news media have fewer misperceptions and are more likely to follow public health recommendations like social distancing.
Can an ad boycott fix Facebook's hate speech problem? | CBC News
July 6, 2020 | Over 800 companies are pulling their ads from Facebook in response to the Stop Hate for Profit boycott, led by civil rights groups who want to remove hate speech from the platform. Will threatening the company's bottom line motivate them into action? Max Bell School Professor Taylor Owen goes on the CBC's Front Burner to discuss the propagation of hate speech on social media.
COVID-19 pandemic unites Canadians like no other event in recent history: study | CTV News
May 25, 2020 | The study co-led by Professor Taylor Owen found that among Canadians, there is cross-partisan consensus on the threat the virus poses and measures that need to be taken to battle it. The study also found that when there isn鈥檛 a consensus 鈥� which is the case in the United States 鈥� compliance with physical distancing guidelines is undermined, which poses an obvious threat.聽
A Rare Moment of Cross-Partisan Consensus: Elite and Public Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada | Canadian Journal of Political Science
April 16, 2020 | The COVID-19 pandemic has placed nearly unprecedented pressure on policymakers and citizens alike. Effectively containing the pandemic requires a societal consensus. However, a long line of research in political science has told us that polarization tends to occur on highly salient topics because partisans 鈥渇ollow the leader.鈥� Elite consensus is thus essential to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.
The Causes and Consequences of COVID-19 Misperceptions: Understanding the Role of News and Social Media | OSF Preprints
May 4, 2020 | This research investigates the relationship between media consumption, misinformation, and important attitudes and behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Professor Taylor Owen, co-author of this article, finds that comparatively more misinformation circulates on social media platforms, while traditional news media tend to reinforce public health recommendations like social distancing.
Anti-intellectualism and Information Preferences during the COVID-19 Pandemic | OSF Preprints
May 14, 2020 | The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates widespread voluntary and sustained public compliance with expert-guided public health directives, like social or physical distancing. Understanding which citizens seek out and engage with expert messages regarding COVID-19 is thus of central importance. Anti-intellectualism - the generalized distrust of experts and intellectuals 鈥� is likely to be a dominant factor.
Prospective Economic Costs Undermine Expectations of Social Distancing | OSF Preprints
May 20, 2020 | The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an extraordinary burden on governments and citizens alike. In order to contain the spread of the pandemic and limit its effect on health care systems, citizens have been asked to forego social and economic activity to protect others at a tremendous cost to themselves.
A Post-COVID-19 Digital Bretton Woods | Project Syndicate
April 17, 2020聽| The digital age has completely disrupted global governance. Now that COVID-19 has disrupted nearly everything else, it is time to start planning for what comes next, say Max Bell School professor聽Taylor Owen and聽Rohinton P. Medhora.
COVID-19 is helping to unite Canadians like nothing has in years 鈥� and we'll need unity for what's to come | CBC News
April 9, 2020 |聽Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic stands in marked contrast to that of the United States, and the crisis seems to be helping to unite Canadians like no other event in years. Read what聽Peter Loewen,聽Taylor Owen and Derek Ruths had to say.
Let鈥檚 face the facts: To ensure our digital rights, we must hit pause on facial-recognition technology | The Globe and Mail
February 14, 2020 |Rapid advances in facial-recognition technology have the potential for vast social consequences. In response to the scale and speed of these developments and the clear potential for harm, a movement has emerged to ban facial recognition. In this op-ed, Max Bell School professor Taylor Owen and Nasma Ahmed call for the need to move ahead with caution and deliberation, highlighting the urgency for regulatory frameworks.
Federal government warning of voter coercion, foreign election interference through private messaging services | CBC News
February 9,聽2020|聽The federal government is worried聽about the risk of voter coercion and foreign election interference through private messaging services 鈥� a concern that could pit the right to privacy and free expression against Canada's election laws.聽
Taylor Owen on deepfakes | CBC The National
January 7, 2020聽| There are serious concerns about how Facebook will police deepfake videos. Max Bell School professor Taylor Owen talks about why these sophisticated videos need editorial oversight.
