Fighting Falsehoods

We can all play a role in spreading falsehoods, whether it's office gossip, sharing stuff on social media that turns out to be fake, or just being passive, uncritical consumers of information coming at us. But for people directly affected by them, the effects can be profound. This week, Piya asks: When a falsehood catches fire, how do you get ahead of it?

Here are the stories from this week's episode...

Satanic cult scandal that rocked a small Saskatchewan town in '92 continues to haunt the falsely accused

In the 1980s and 90s, a so-called "Satanic panic" spread through North America. Allegations of child abuse and gruesome rituals in the name of Satan set off a wave of criminal investigations and prosecutions, even though the evidence was often highly questionable or even non-existent. Retired Saskatoon police officer John Popowich speaks with Piya about being falsely accused of heinous crimes when the panic hit Martensville, Saskatchewan, and how some people still believe he's guilty decades later.

Father threatens to sue Google after online conspiracy theorists allege his daughter's death was faked

Piya about how this has become a troubling trend following major acts of violence in the United States, and how he's calling on Google to take greater responsibility in halting the spread of such terrible lies on its platforms.