OTTAWA, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) — The suggestion in a recent House of Commons report that Canada adopt a media code of conduct related to “disinformation” is the exact type of thing that would only further censor free speech that does not fit the government’s narrative, a Conservative MP has warned.
A House of Commons Ethics Committee report titled “Oversight Of Social Media Platforms: Ensuring Privacy And Safety Online” proposed that a media code of practice be introduced in the nation, with Liberal MP Iqra Khalid claiming that so-called “disinformation” is among the “biggest issues of our time.”
“I think this is one of the biggest issues of our time and one we really need to focus on,” she told reporters recently; however, she did not give any details on what this would look like.
As noted by Blacklock’s Reporter, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner said moves to monitor the news in a partisan light are dangerous.
“If we get into a situation where we are censoring speech, particularly where we are saying the government’s position is the positive position that needs to be uploaded and that criticism of the government is downloaded in a legitimate situation, we are doing democracy a disservice,” she said at a House affairs committee meeting back in May.
The House of Commons Ethics Committee’s report gave no definition as to what “disinformation” is, however, it did reference a 2022 European Union “Code Of Practice On Disinformation,” which defined it as “false or misleading content that is spread with the intention to deceive or secure economic or political gain and which may cause public harm.”
The EU code includes exemptions, such as “satire and parody,” “advertising,” “reporting errors,” as well as commentary.
The House of Commons report recommended “that the Government of Canada adopt a European Union style code of practice on disinformation and compel social media platforms to report regularly on their trust and safety activities in Canada and to provide Canadian researchers with access to their data.”
Reporters questioned Khalid as to what she would like to see regarding government actions related to “disinformation.”
She responded by saying, “A lot of people go to social media platforms for their news, for their information.”
“That, for me, puts a duty on social media platforms to be able to provide that correct information.”
As it stands, the federal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has plowed ahead to push laws impacting free speech online.
When it comes to so-called media “disinformation,” the reality is that it is Canada’s state-funded media that has been caught having to make retractions.
In 2022, the CBC, Canada’s state-run broadcaster, was rebuked by its overseer after running a false story claiming Russia was behind the Freedom Convoy protests.
Last month, LifeSiteNews reported on how a Canadian federal committee said that MPs should enact laws to penalize social media and tech companies that don’t take action to quell so-called “undesirable or questionable” content on the internet.
As reported by LifeSiteNews, Canadian legal group The Democracy Fund (TDF) warned that the Liberal government’s Bill C-63 seeks to further clamp down on online speech and will “weaponize” the nation’s courts to favor the ruling federal party and do nothing but create an atmosphere of “fear.”
Bill C-63 was introduced by Liberal Justice Minister Arif Virani in the House of Commons in February and was immediately blasted by constitutional experts as troublesome.
Jordan Peterson, one of Canada’s most prominent psychologists, recently accused the bill of attempting to create a pathway to allow for “Orwellian Thought Crime” to become the norm in the nation.