Amarnath Amarasingam

Authorities are collecting information about the right-wing Proud Boys group as part of a possible terrorist designation, the federal Liberal government said on Sunday, January 10, 2021, as it faced calls to ban the organization over its role in last week’s Capitol Hill riot.

Conspiracy theories, including those propagated by the once-fringe QAnon movement, have gained traction as the COVID-19 pandemic fuels fear, social and economic insecurity, and mistrust in authorities, experts in Canada say.

Though the unfortunate cultural import from the United States has been kicking around Canada for years, QAnon has gained new prevalence this year. How bad is it, and what can be done to stop it?