In response to growing concerns about foreign interference in Canada, the House of Commons ethics committee is calling on the government to adopt measures to combat misinformation online.
On Tuesday, the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics recently released a report, focusing on foreign interference tactics employed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia.
The report also delved into allegations of communist China’s interference in past Canadian elections, as well as a donation to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation by a Chinese businessman.
The committee claimed social media platforms were “accountable for publishing false or misleading information.” Additionally, legislators called on the government to “develop policies to support the media ecosystem.”
Other recommendations include imposing “targeted sanctions” against Canadian companies that are doing business with countries that engage in foreign interference operations.
Among the key recommendations made by the committee are calls to establish a foreign influence registry to enhance transparency regarding foreign actors operating within Canada as soon as possible and implementing criminal penalties in the Criminal Code to address foreign interference, including harassment and intimidation by foreign states.
With regard to establishing a foreign agent registry, ethics committee vice chair and Liberal MP Mona Fortier said that she does not exactly know what the timeline will be for the government to act on the recommendation.
“I understand that the foreign agent registry is the will of the government. Of course, the government wants to do it the right way and ensure that there are no unintended consequences for minority groups,” said Fortier.
“I would say that the will is there but the timeline I cannot answer that question.”
In response to the increasing concerns over foreign interference, the Committee was designated to investigate tactics employed by foreign actors. Notably, this scrutiny was prompted by allegations regarding financial and other support from the PRC to candidates in the 2019 Canadian election.
Additionally, the committee recommended developing harsher rules for whistleblowers to illicitly disclose national security intelligence. Many of the reports about China’s foreign interference in Canada earlier this year relied on leaked information from intelligence sources.
“That the Government of Canada strengthen rules and penalties governing illicit
disclosure of national security intelligence,” recommended lawmakers.
