OTTAWA, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) — A Canadian federal minister has devised plans and a strategy to monitor the public’s social media use while at the same time coming up with possible actions that can be taken against people for posting “misleading information” online.
The plan comes from Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, whose departmental strategy has alarmed Conservative MPs.
As first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, a 35-page internal memo with the title Misinformation and Disinformation Strategy was made public via an Access to Information request. The memo shows plans to not only identify but track and go after those whose online content is deemed “misinformation.”
“This strategy seeks to uphold the integrity of and public trust in government information,” noted an excerpt from the memo dated March 31.
While no specific penalties are mentioned in the memo, its goal is to create a framework to “prevent, detect and respond to false or misleading information.”
According to Canada’s Industry Department, its staff is already monitoring social media sites and general Canadian media for people’s comments.
The strategy is to expand what the department does from a “reactive stance to one that is focused on prevention and early detection.”
According to officials, doing so would “proactively address false and misleading information” on social media sites such as X, Facebook, and others to build momentum.
The memo stated that the department would be in charge of deciding if any online content from social media was “factually incorrect, misleading or out of context.”
Action taken against those who have “factually incorrect” content would need senior approval and would be a “proportionate” response.
Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis blasted the federal government’s plan monitor citizens’ social media, saying it looks like the government wants to become the “arbiter of truth.”
“Who defines what is ‘misinformation’?” she said in an X post, noting, “Will government become the arbiter of truth?
“That is a dangerous path for a free society.”
Conservative MP Roman Baber said that the government “should fear citizens at the free press and the ballot box.”
“But the reverse, citizens fearing government gives rise to authoritarianism!,” he noted in an X post.
“Conservatives will not tolerate any Liberal assault to Canadians’ Civil Liberties.”
The memo indicated that there are serious risks in going after social media users, warning that any response could trigger online backlash “lending legitimacy to fringe sources.”
The current government under Prime Minister Mark Carney has continued the legacy of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in going after Canadians’ online freedoms.
The Liberal government’s “dystopian” internet censorship Bill C-22, which would demand that people’s data be kept for potential police review, was rammed through the House of Commons with unvetted amendments.
Also, Bill C-9 was recently passed by the Senate and will repeal religious protections and effectively criminalize quoting parts of the Bible, including on homosexuality. It was amended at the last minute to ban images of a noose because a senator said it’s a symbol of “White supremacy.”
Another law, Bill C-34, looks to ban social media use for minors. However, constitutional groups have warned the social media ban could lead to surrendering “freedoms.”
Carney has globalist ties and was called the World Economic Forum’s “golden boy” by Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. The prime minister has also admitted that he is an “elitist” and a “globalist.”