A delegation of Canadian senators recently visited the Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET), where the two sides held in-depth discussions on artificial intelligence governance, information manipulation, digital platform regulation, fraud prevention, and democratic resilience. During the meeting, DSET shared Taiwan’s recent experience in responding to foreign information manipulation, the amplifying effects of social media platforms, and the governance challenges brought about by the rapid development of AI. DSET also introduced Taiwan’s experience in media literacy, fact-checking, cross-sector coordination, and institutional development, and expressed its hope to continue deepening dialogue and cooperation with democratic partners such as Canada.
The Canadian delegation was led by Senator Leo Housakos, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and included Senator Katherine Hay of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs; Senator Flordeliz “Gigi” Osler, Leader of the Canadian Senators Group; Senator Robert Black, Deputy Leader of the Canadian Senators Group; Senator Danièle Henkel, Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration; Senator Rodger Cuzner of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology; Senator Tony Ince of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs; Senator Dawn Anderson; and Senator Paul Prosper of the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.
Kai-Shen Huang, Director of DSET’s Democratic Governance Program, noted that the risks posed by information manipulation can no longer be understood solely in terms of whether an individual piece of content is true or false. Rather, they must be examined through the lens of how platform amplification, task-oriented account operations, and local network mobilisation converge to form a “system of instability” that can quickly translate into offline action.
Huang cited the 2023 false information incident targeting migrant workers in Taiwan as an example, noting that after the narrative spread from Dcard to short-form videos on TikTok, it escalated into street protests in Taipei within just three weeks. This, he argued, demonstrates that the risks of information manipulation lie not only in the veracity of individual claims, but in how platform dynamics, coordinated account activity, and local mobilisation can converge to generate real-world consequences.
He further explained that Taiwan has gradually developed a defensive ecosystem composed of government, platforms, and civil society. However, beyond traditional media literacy education, there is also a need to strengthen more proactive “prebunking” mechanisms. At the same time, current platform governance continues to face structural limitations: for example, while platforms may fund fact-checking initiatives, their business models still rely on the traffic and engagement generated by high-conflict, highly polarising content.
In addition to broader democratic defence mechanisms, several senators raised questions on specific policy issues. Discussions covered the future direction of Canada’s AI strategy, data governance and the cross-border flow of sensitive data, platform responsibility, and the practical effectiveness of media literacy and civic resilience measures.
Some senators also expressed concern over financial fraud, identity theft, and the risks faced by older populations arising from social media platforms, and exchanged views with DSET on how governments, financial institutions, and telecommunications systems can better coordinate to prevent such crimes. Yun-Ting Cai, Deputy Director of DSET’s Data Team, and Kai-Shen Huang also shared that while Taiwan has gradually established mechanisms for fact-checking and media literacy promotion, it continues to face complex challenges in platform regulation, urban-rural disparities, funding sources, and the boundaries of free speech.
