diff --git a/synapse/storage/databases/main/appservice.py b/synapse/storage/databases/main/appservice.py
index 726f2547dc..0ec18d1baf 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/databases/main/appservice.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/databases/main/appservice.py
@@ -158,14 +158,14 @@ class ApplicationServiceWorkerStore(RoomMemberWorkerStore):
         cache_context: _CacheContext,
     ) -> List[str]:
         """
-        Get all users in a room that the appservice controls.
+        Get all users in a room that the appservice is interested in.
 
         Args:
             room_id: The room to check in.
-            app_service: The application service to check interest/control against
+            app_service: The application service to check interest against
 
         Returns:
-            List of user IDs that the appservice controls.
+            List of user IDs that the appservice is interested in.
         """
         # We can use `get_local_users_in_room(...)` here because an application
         # service can only act on behalf of users of the server it's on.
diff --git a/tests/handlers/test_appservice.py b/tests/handlers/test_appservice.py
index 6a761ac8ef..038736b944 100644
--- a/tests/handlers/test_appservice.py
+++ b/tests/handlers/test_appservice.py
@@ -391,11 +391,11 @@ class ApplicationServicesHandlerSendEventsTestCase(unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
         # Mock the ApplicationServiceScheduler's _TransactionController's send method so that
         # we can track any outgoing ephemeral events
         self.send_mock = simple_async_mock()
-        hs.get_application_service_handler().scheduler.txn_ctrl.send = self.send_mock
+        hs.get_application_service_handler().scheduler.txn_ctrl.send = self.send_mock  # type: ignore[assignment]
 
         # Mock out application services, and allow defining our own in tests
         self._services: List[ApplicationService] = []
-        self.hs.get_datastores().main.get_app_services = Mock(
+        self.hs.get_datastores().main.get_app_services = Mock(  # type: ignore[assignment]
             return_value=self._services
         )