Almost half of Canadians receive fake news regularly through messaging apps

“Disinformation spreading on private messaging apps is a growing threat to our democracy” TORONTO — With more than eight in 10 people in Canada using private messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, a new study from Ryerson University’s Cybersecure Policy Exchange finds 46% of Canadians report receiving private messages which they suspect are false at least monthly. The report, Private Messages, Public Harms, is based on results from a representative survey of 2,500 Canadians in March 2021. The Cybersecure Policy Exchange, which is an initiative powered by RBC through Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst and the Ryerson Leadership Lab, analyzed...