Against hate and hustle on the internet

© Citizens‘ Assembly on Democratic Expression

In Canada, a citizens' assembly is calling on the government to take immediate action to combat the spread of disinformation on social media. On 4 February 2022, the randomly selected assembly had released its second report with a total of 27 recommendations.

The Citizens' Assembly on Democratic Expression recommended, among other things, information campaigns and a centre for education on the spread of misinformation. Digital media companies should be more transparent about the consequences of their algorithms and label information as true and verified.

"A pressing and serious problem"

All participants agreed that the spread of disinformation via social media is a pressing and serious issue, says Stephanie Tucker. The Newfoundlander was one of the 42 participants drawn for the mini public.

The problem of disinformation takes many forms, she said. It includes targeted campaigns against political parties, platforms or politicians, or against religious or racial groups. This increases polarisation, divides society and increases the perception of threat. "It’s not telling the truth", Tucker said.

On behalf of the government

The Citizens' Assembly had been mandated by the Department of Canadian Heritage to look at how Canada ought to regulate digital platforms. Participants spent four days in Ottawa in November and another three Saturdays online to learn the ways in which social media platforms work, and the degree to which they need to be held responsible for online harm, specifically the spread of disinformation. The 42 participants came from all provinces and territories of the country.

In the course of more than 40 hours, the assembly members

  • learned about the principles of democratic expression and the social impact of digital technologies;
  • examined existing institutions and regulations that safeguard both democratic speech and the public interest;
  • considered the effectiveness of existing Canadian laws;
  • explored how other countries are responding to this challenge;
  • issued a series of consensus recommendations concerning the measures the federal government and industry should take.

Presentations by experts

The discussions were based on presentations by numerous experts who explained, among other things, how criminal law could be used to provide consequences for disseminating disinformation online. 

Another topic were the challenges the law has in navigating the freedom of expression guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Constitution. The assembly members also explored legal methods for regulation and were briefed on past and current laws in this space.

Citizens’ proposals partially taken on board

The 43 recommendations unanimously adopted by the Canadian Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Expression have been partially taken on board politically. The legislative implementation of key recommendations has not yet been finalised.

The Citizens’ Assembly was explicitly involved in the federal government’s deliberations on a legal framework for online safety. The calls for an independent regulatory authority, regular risk assessments and transparency reports from platforms, a legal obligation for providers to act responsibly, easily accessible reporting and complaints mechanisms, as well as powers of investigation and sanction, were taken on board particularly clearly.

The Online Harms Act C-63, introduced in 2024, also incorporated the recommendation for an independent ombudsman’s office, but lapsed in early 2025. The Safe Social Media Act C-34, introduced in June 2026, continues to provide for a Digital Safety Commission, risk mitigation obligations, special child protection measures, publicly accessible safety plans, reporting and blocking mechanisms, complaints procedures and sanctions, but no longer includes an independent ombudsman service.

Unimplemented recommendations

Other recommendations – such as a special representative for online risks, an international forum, a voluntary national identity verification system, comprehensive data rights, an industry-funded education fund, far-reaching restrictions on bots, a specialised electronic court and mandatory representative bodies for disadvantaged groups on platforms – have not yet been implemented.

The Federal Government explicitly cites the Citizens’ Assembly as having influenced Bill C-34. However, as the bill had only reached its second reading as of September 2026, the proposals it contains should not yet be regarded as having been actually implemented, but rather as having been adopted in political or legislative terms.

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