A 35-page memo to Federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly contemplates “legal action” against Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media platforms suspected of spreading “false and misleading information.” The memo, obtained under Access to Information, does not specify what action federal lawyers would take, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
Strategy aims to uphold government information integrity
“This strategy seeks to uphold the integrity of and public trust in government information,” states the March 31 memo, Misinformation And Disinformation Strategy, revealed Thursday. The “objective of the strategy is to establish a plan that will prevent, detect and respond to false or misleading information,” it said.
Managers “already monitor the department’s official social media channels and media outlets on a daily basis for comments and recurring inaccuracies,” said the memo. New measures will be used to “transition from a reactive stance to one that is focused on prevention and early detection,” it said. “This will enable the department to proactively address false and misleading information.”
Social media seen as primary misinformation vector
Social media was considered “channels where misinformation related to the department’s mandate is most likely to appear or spread.” The department itself would determine whether social media posts were “factually incorrect, misleading or out of context.” Any punitive measures against individuals would be “proportionate and subject to senior level approval.”
The memo acknowledged a risk of “further backlash,” noting that targeting individuals could generate unwanted publicity. “Responding to misinformation can unintentionally amplify it by increasing visibility or lending legitimacy to fringe sources,” said the memo. “This risk also applies in the department’s environment, where even acknowledging certain false claims on topics such as national security decisions, investment reviews or artificial intelligence governance can draw broader public attention.”
Canadians confident in spotting fake news, research shows
The federal government’s own in-house research indicates Canadians feel capable of spotting fake news and are not on side with Ottawa “declaring what is true or not,” according to a 2024 Study On Online Disinformation Advertising Creative Testing by the Communications Security Establishment.
