Canadian parliamentary committee urges accountability for tech giants over false online information

A parliamentary committee in Canada is recommending that tech giants be held responsible for sharing false or misleading information online, mainly when foreign actors propagate it. However, the Conservatives in the committee did not back this call, saying this would endorse censorship online.

This is one of 22 recommendations by the House Ethics Committee, which studied foreign interference in Canada’s affairs, focusing on China and Russia. The committee’s report also calls for creating a foreign agent registry and improved measures to combat online misinformation.

The government has 60 days to respond to these recommendations, which have gained attention due to increasing concerns about foreign meddling in the country’s internal matters.

Why does it matter?

Concerns have been mounting in Western countries about campaigns orchestrated by foreign actors. In August, Meta, in collaboration with Australian research groups, dismantled the world’s largest covert Chinese spam network. This network was designed to target global users, promoting pro-China content while criticizing Western nations and their policies. A recent US intelligence report also revealed Russia’s extensive efforts to undermine public trust in global elections through espionage, state-controlled media, and manipulation of social media. In the era of digital information warfare, nations face the challenge of safeguarding their democratic processes and preserving public trust.