John Gray

John Gray directs research, analysis, and program implementation focused on identifying, exposing, and countering state and non-state-sponsored propaganda and information operations. Gray has spent more than a decade working at the forefront of disinformation analysis. He previously co-founded and served as CEO of Mentionmapp Analytics, a Canadian technology firm that developed tools to map social media networks and identify coordinated manipulation, including automated bot activity. His analysis of network manipulation during the 2016 U.S. election led him to focus full time on countering foreign influence operations. He is a Senior Data Analyst with Global Affairs Canada, where he focuses on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), open-source intelligence, and analytic capacity building in support of democratic institutions.

John's fieldwork and research include exposing Assad-aligned social media networks targeting humanitarian organizations in Syria, co-authoring research on Russian hashtag tactics presented at the American Political Science Association and collaborating with Reuters journalist Steve Stecklow on "Hatebook" investigation, which contributed to Reuters' reporting on Myanmar and was recognized with a 2019 Pulitzer Prize. As a visiting fellow with the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, Gray analyzed foreign interference in Canada's 2018 federal election and served as co-chair of the Credibility Coalition's Misinfosec Working Group.

John joined Georgetown University's Information Warfare Working Group in 2019 and was selected as one of nine teams in the U.S. Department of State's Boldline Accelerator, supporting the development of tools to address global information threats. His research and tools are widely used by governments, journalists, and civil society organizations to understand and counter digital disinformation.