McGill GLSA Research Series

Virtual Echo Chambers

Harman Singh — 2026-01-03

This paper will critically examine the phenomenon of digital echo chambers as a structural harm emerging from algorithmic profiling and personalization practices, with a focus on Canadian privacy laws. Drawing upon the work of scholars such as Ignacio Cofone, Sandra Wachter, and Brent Mittelstadt, the paper argues that privacy in the digital era is not merely a matter of data control, but one of informational autonomy and democratic resilience. Algorithmic curation as rooted in opaque inferential logics, construct and reinforces online environments that isolate users within ideologically homogenous content, eroding their capacity for independent thought process. Echo chambers not only shape individual behavior but also amplify polarization and exclusion thus posing a direct threat to cohesion and discourse.

The paper conducts a comparative analysis of existing legal frameworks, specifically the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Privacy Act, revealing shortcomings in addressing algorithmically induced harms. PIPEDA’s consent-based architecture fails to account for inferential data and curatorial logic, while the Privacy Act's focus on state use of information overlooks the democratic implications of public-sector content personalization.

Drawing lessons from Article 22 GDPR, which provides procedural safeguards against automated decision-making, the paper proposes a dual-track regulatory approach. This model calls for strengthening individual rights over inferences while enabling state intervention in cases of algorithmic manipulation that threaten national security, social harmony, election integrity or sovereignty of the nation as a whole.

Ultimately, this paper advocates for a redefinition of privacy as civic and constitutional condition, which is integral not only for personal liberty but also to safeguarding Canada’s multicultural democracy. In doing so, it calls for an evolution in privacy governance from individualistic data rights to structurally attuned frameworks that address the informational architectures shaping a collective life in the age of AI.

ICAO’s CORSIA Flight Path and its Challenges After the 40th Assembly

Auria Haiqing Wan — 2026-01-03

This article examines the implementation of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) since its 40th Assembly, in light of recent legal, political, and financial developments. It argues that CORSIA’s current mechanism and pace of implementation are insufficient to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Drawing on the 2025 International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion, the outcomes of the 13th cycle of the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) and the policy development challenges throughout the last two ICAO Assemblies, the paper identifies policy and legal transformations necessary to align CORSIA with States’ evolving climate obligations.

Towards the Next “Grotian Moment”

Jiatai Zhang — 2026-01-03

The burgeoning advancements in information technology and cyberspace have prompted a global imperative for nations to engage in regulating the Internet. These endeavors represent an extension of traditional sovereignty principles, leveraging state authority for their implementation. Across the international landscape, nations are asserting varying degrees of sovereignty in cyberspace, reflecting diverse interpretations of the concept. This plurality underscores the multiple interests that different regimes prioritize in response to the challenges posed by Internet technologies. However, this diversity of perspectives has engendered a proliferation of uncertainty within global cyber governance frameworks, impeding the coherent application of international law in cyberspace. Customary International Law (CIL) serves as a pivotal mechanism capable of transcending this hermeneutic variability in cyber governance. By institutionalizing the minimum consensus among states as a foundation for international norms, CIL offers a pathway to navigate the complexities surrounding the notion of cyber sovereignty and delineate the normative rights and obligations of states in the realm of international cyber governance. This paper aims to dissect the contemporary "Grotian Moment" concerning cyber sovereignty, a moment characterized by the rapid evolution of CIL about cyberspace. Through an analysis of influential international non-binding policy documents and the cyber governance practices of key nations, the paper endeavors to illustrate the existence of a foundational consensus and behavioral norms governing cyber sovereignty within the international community. It interrogates whether the prevailing international consensus and state practices can catalyze the emergence of a new "Grotian Moment" in international law. In pursuit of expediting the realization of this customary law, the paper proposes a two-pronged strategy: first, the formulation of a binding declaration of principles by the United Nations, predicated on a foundational consensus regarding cyber sovereignty; and subsequently, the collaborative development of international Internet norms by diverse nations based on their respective governance frameworks.