Summary Report: Disinformation, Digital Space, and Democratic Processes

ScottGraffius.com | Blog | Intersection of Project Leadership with Business and Technology

Government of Canada Features Research by Scott M. Graffius

17 April 2026

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

government-of-canada-features-research-by-scott-m-graffius-v2-lwres

Government of Canada Foreign Interference Commission, Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, and Summary Report and Its Use of Graffius' Research

In September 2023, the Government of Canada established the Foreign Interference Commission. This body was created to investigate concerns about foreign interference in the country’s democratic processes. Led by Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue, the Commission functions as a fact-finding and advisory group. Its purpose is to examine evidence, hold public hearings, and produce reports that assess threats and recommend measures to strengthen electoral integrity and public confidence. It carries out this mandate in phases, culminating in published findings and recommendations for government action.

The Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions is the Commission's formal inquiry. Its charter directs the Commissioner to investigate and assess alleged interference by foreign states or actors, evaluate its impact on Canada’s general elections, and review how government officials and agencies handled information about threats. It also examines the capacity of federal institutions to detect, deter, and respond to foreign interference, including protections for vulnerable communities and the effectiveness of existing safeguards. More broadly, the inquiry aims to enhance transparency, reinforce trust in democratic institutions, and provide recommendations to better protect Canada’s electoral system.

The Summary Report: Disinformation, Digital Space, and Democratic Processes, authored by Vivek Krishnamurthy and published on the Foreign Interference Commission's website, examines the challenges of identifying, evaluating, and responding to misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation in contemporary digital environments. It explores issues of scale, intent, moderation error, and regulatory responses, with particular attention to implications for democratic systems.

The Summary Report cites Scott M. Graffius’ "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research. However, the Summary Report materially mischaracterizes this work. Citations can readily create an impression of alignment or endorsement where none exists—particularly for readers who do not scrutinize the underlying research in detail. To maintain the integrity of his work and prevent misunderstanding, Graffius proactively provides the following objective, evidence-based assessment of the Summary Report, including its use of his research.

Graffius does not endorse the Summary Report.

Critical Analysis of Summary Report, Including Its Use of Graffius' Research

1. Mischaracterization of "Engagement" as "Views."

In social media and digital marketing, views and engagement represent distinct metrics that serve different purposes in understanding audience behavior. A view is a measure of exposure. It’s a passive metric about reach or visibility rather than interaction. Engagement, by contrast, captures active participation, tracking when a user interacts with content through actions such as liking, commenting, or sharing a post. Tracking engagement offers a deeper insight into how compelling or resonant the content is to its audience.

Some social media research tracks views—the mere display of content. By contrast, engagement (such as likes, shares, comments) measures impact. For those distinctions, Graffius' "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research analyzes engagement. Although the Summary Report cites this research, it misrepresents it as measuring views, incorrectly describing it as “the time by which half of its audience has seen it.” In doing so, the report conflates engagement with views. This misrepresentation constitutes a material analytical error that undermines the accuracy of the report’s interpretation and the reliability of its conclusions.

Excerpts from the Summary Report are shown below.

government-of-canada-features-research-by-scott-m-graffius---excerpts-lwres

government-of-canada-features-research-by-scott-m-graffius---excerpts-lwres

The Summary Report cited the 2024 edition of Graffius' "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts." For context, a visual from it is shown below.

-scott-m-graffius---lifespan-halflife-of-social-media-posts---infographic-visual---2024-edition---v-23122407---jpg-1000x570

Details—including a link to it, the Summary Report, and more—are in the bibliography section of this article.

Additionally, because this article is written in 2026, a visual from the current (2026) edition of Graffius’ respective work is also provided below for completeness and contemporaneous context.

scott-m-graffius-lifespan-halflife-of-social-media-posts-update-for-2026-summary-visual-v26012207-jpg-lwres

2. Overgeneralization of Half-Life.

Graffius' research notes, "the half-life of posts varies by social media platform," and that point is clearly demonstrated by the data. Here are select examples from the respective (2024) edition of Graffius' research:

The average half-life of engagement on X (formerly Twitter) is 43 minutes.
The average half-life of engagement on Facebook is 76 minutes (equivalent to 1.27 hours).
The average half-life of engagement on Instagram is 1,185 minutes (equivalent to 19.75 hours).
The average half-life of engagement on YouTube is 12,717 minutes (equivalent to 211.95 hours or 8.83 days)
The average half-life of engagement on Pinterest is 164,518 minutes (equivalent to 2,741.97 hours or 114.25 days or 3.76 months).

However, the Summary Report states: "Social media content’s 'half-life'—the time by which half of its audience has seen it—is measured in hours if not minutes, creating a narrow window for proactive action." That does not clearly acknowledge platform-specific variation. Additionally, the report’s characterization compresses heterogeneous dynamics into an unjustified generalization. As a result, the report’s assumptions and conclusions rest on a flawed analytical foundation.

3. Conceptual Ambiguity in MDM Classification.

The Summary Report acknowledges the difficulty of distinguishing misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM). However, its proposed framework introduces several limitations. The top three follow. First, it implies a continuum of truth that may obscure categorical distinctions. Second, it does not operationalize how classifications should be made in practice. And third, it relies heavily on intent, which the report itself admits is often difficult or impossible to determine.

The result is a framework that is descriptive but operationally underdeveloped. Those factors limit its applicability in real-world moderation, policy, or research contexts.

4. Unresolved Tradeoffs and Limited Empirical Basis for Interventions.

The Summary Report highlights the inherent tension between minimizing moderation errors and addressing the harms at scale. It emphasizes the importance of avoiding false positives while also advocating for proactive intervention.

But it does not provide a clear, evidence-based framework for navigating this tradeoff. Minimizing false positives implies restraint, while proactive moderation requires action under uncertainty. The report identifies this dilemma but leaves it unresolved.

At the same time, the report advances several policy recommendations—including increased data access, risk-based regulation, A/B testing of interventions, and design-based solutions. While directionally reasonable, these proposals have limited empirical substantiation.

The report acknowledges a lack of robust evidence on what interventions are most effective, yet it recommends approaches without an evidentiary foundation. This results in a normative bias toward action without a corresponding analytical framework to evaluate effectiveness, weakening the overall guidance.

Conclusion

The Summary Report provides an overview of the challenges associated with misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation in digital environments. However, it exhibits several significant issues and limitations, including:

A material mischaracterization of cited research (views vs. engagement);
Overgeneralization of respective social media dynamics;
Conceptual ambiguity in the classification of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation; and
An unresolved tradeoff between intervention and accuracy, coupled with limited empirical support for proposed solutions.

The identified deficiencies materially undermine the report’s validity, reliability, and evidentiary foundation. Accordingly, the Summary Report's analysis, conclusions, and recommendations should be treated with caution.

Bibliography

Canada (Government of Canada) (n.d.). Foreign Interference Commission. https://foreigninterferencecommission.ca/

Graffius, S. M. (2024, January 1). Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts: Update for 2024. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.21043.60965

Graffius, S. M. (2026, January 3). Scott M. Graffius' Phases of Team Development - Applied to Human Teams and Human-AI Teams: 2026 Update. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18184.89601

Krishnamurthy, V. (2024, October 30). Summary Report: Disinformation, Digital Space, and Democratic Processes. Foreign Interference Commission. Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions. https://foreigninterferencecommission.ca/fileadmin/foreign_interference_commission/Documents/Policy_Consultation_Documents/Summaries/3_KRISHNAMURTHY-Summary_Report.pdf

About Scott M. Graffius

scott_m_graffius_-_blue_-_1000x1000_-lwres

Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.

He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 96 conferences and other events across 25 countries.

He’s delivered over $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.

The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.

Experience

Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.

Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.

He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

Award-Winning Author

Graffius has authored three books.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.

International Public Speaker

Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 97 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.

With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

The speaker engagement request form is here.

Thought Leadership and Influence

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:

Adobe,
American Management Association,
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
Bayer,
BMC Software,
Boston University,
Broadcom,
Cisco,
Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
Computer Weekly,
Constructor University - Germany,
Data Governance Success,
Deimos Aerospace,
DevOps Institute,
Dropbox,
EU's European Commission,
Ford Motor Company,
Gartner,
GoDaddy,
Harvard Medical School,
Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
IEEE,
Innovation Project Management,
Johns Hopkins University,
Journal of Neurosurgery,
Lam Research (Semiconductors),
Leadership Worthy,
Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
London South Bank University,
Microsoft,
MSN,
NASSCOM,
National Academy of Sciences,
New Zealand Government,
Oracle,
Pinterest Inc.,
Project Management Institute,
Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
SANS Institute,
SBG Neumark - Germany,
Singapore Institute of Technology,
Torrens University - Australia,
TBS Switzerland,
Tufts University,
UC San Diego,
UK Sports Institute,
University of Galway - Ireland,
US Department of Energy,
US National Park Service,
US Soccer,
US Tennis Association,
Verizon,
Wrike,
Yale University,
and many others.

Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:

Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.

Additional details are here.

He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Scott-M-Graffius-Phases-Of-Team-Development-2026-Update-v26010307G2-jpg-lwres

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."

The 2026 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.

Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy, Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture), Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.

The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.

Education and Professional Certifications

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
Project Management Professional (PMP),
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management

Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.

Discover Scott’s Books

Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.

pinterest-inc-references-scott-m-graffius0027-research---v1-3---lwres

cisco-features-scott-m.-graffius0027-0027phases-of-team-development0027-work---rectange---lwres

ieee-xplore-publication-featured-scott-m-graffius-phases-of-team-development-work---rev-sept-19-2024---hires

ucsd-featured-ip-of-scott-m-graffius---v25122907-giesel-lwres

johns-hopkins-university-features-work-of-scott-m-graffius---v24080107---tw---lwres

semiconductor-manufacturing-firm-lam-research-features-scott-m-graffius2019-2018phases-of-team-development2019-intellectual-property---tw-sz-format---lwres

bayer-licensed-ip-of-agile-expert-scott-m-graffius---agilescrumguide_com---lwres

award-winning-agile-scrum-book-by-scott-m-graffius-v24122207lwres

scott_m_graffius_agile_transformation_sq_lr_1000x1000

agile-protocol-review-on-bookbub---medal--iphone-dark-v260217G2-lwres

gifts-that-inspire-joy---scottgraffius-dot-com---v251014---lwres

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-more-lwres

List of Additional Articles

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-cite-lwres

How to Cite This Article

Graffius, S. M. (2026, April 17). Government of Canada Features Research by Scott M. Graffius. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/government-of-canada-features-research-by-scott-m-graffius.html

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-doi-lwres

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Coming soon

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-ackn-lwres

Content Acknowledgements

The Government of Canada established the Foreign Interference Commission to investigate concerns about foreign interference in the country’s democratic processes.

The Summary Report: Disinformation, Digital Space, and Democratic Processes, authored by Vivek Krishnamurthy and published on the Foreign Interference Commission's website, examines the challenges of identifying, evaluating, and responding to misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation in contemporary digital environments.

The Summary Report cites Scott M. Graffius’ "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research.

All names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

Foreign Interference Commission (and its Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions) names and marks are the property of the Government of Canada.

The Summary Report is the property of its author.

This article includes limited excerpts, attributed and used under fair use doctrine for purposes of news reporting, commentary, and analysis.

"Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-tags-hashtags-lwres

Tags and Hashtags

Government of Canada
Canadian Government
Disinformation, Misinformation, and Malinformation
Social Media Metrics
Digital Governance
Foreign Interference
Electoral Integrity
Research Integrity
Content Moderation
Data Misinterpretation
Public Policy Analysis
Foreign Interference Commission
Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts
Scott M. Graffius
Summary Report: Disinformation, Digital Space, and Democratic Processes

#Canada
#Government
#Disinformation
#Misinformation
#DigitalGovernance
#SocialMedia
#SocialMediaResearch
#DataIntegrity
#ResearchMatters
#ContentModeration
#ElectionIntegrity
#PolicyAnalysis
#InfoDisorder
#DigitalPolicy
#ForeignInterferenceCommission

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-notes-lwres

Post-Publication Notes

If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright

Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Tags: Government of Canada • Canadian Government • Social Media Metrics • Digital Governance • Scott M. Graffius • Summary Report: Disinformation, Digital Space, and Democratic Processes • Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts • Foreign Interference Commission • Public Policy Analysis • Data Misinterpretation • Content Moderation • Research Integrity • Electoral Integrity • Disinformation, Misinformation, and Malinformation