TDF tells Elections Canada to stay in its lane regarding disinformation
https://www.westernstandard.news/news/tdf-tells-elections-canada-to-stay-in-its-lane-regarding-disinformation/52399
Elections Canada policies to monitor and dissuade "disinformation" have prompted a letter of concern from a legal advocacy group.
The Democracy Fund (TDF) senior litigation counsel Mark A. Joseph sent a four-page letter of concerns to the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer and the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc over the policy. TDF expressed fears the ambiguous language and the apparent lack of legislative authority to engage in such an endeavour will lead to an expansion of the program.
In January 2024, Elections Canada launched its ElectoFacts website to provide "correct information about elections Canadians can easily access." Elections Canada claims it does not intend to establish itself as "the arbiter of truth" that will actively monitor the accuracy of statements and information distributed by parties and candidates.
Elections Canada has also contacted social media companies to remove "inaccurate" information. It says this is troubling because it is arguably an infringement of free speech rights and there appears to be no judicial oversight of this censorship.
"Canadians have the right to criticize their government and its processes, even if this criticism is wrong, inapt, trivial, unfair or unjustified. Efforts by the western governments to constrain criticism using fashionable terms such as 'misinformation' or 'disinformation' are just state censorship rebranded for modern audiences," TDF said in a press release.
In the letter, Joseph wrote, "Elections Canada may not have the legislative authority to report citizens or their online comments or attempt to influence platforms to remove 'false information.' Even if it did, doing so without judicial review and oversight is arguably improper." Continue…