Misinformation should fall under online hate legislation

The deepfakes are fake videos or photos that use deep learning technology, which creates very realistic counterfeit images.

Members of the expert panel, including Bernie Farber of Canada Anti-Hate Network and Lianna McDonald of the Canadian Center for Child Protection, said the law imposes an obligation on tech giants to fight the spread of fake news and fake videos.

Some have suggested that Canada should take inspiration from the European Union (EU) Digital Services Act, which allows for stronger action to counter disinformation in times of crisis, such as during elections, conflicts international and public health emergencies.

They stated that the measurement of theEU was linked to Russia’s attempts to disseminate false allegations to justify the invasion of Ukraine.

Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino said in an interview that the technology is now so sophisticated that some doctored content and images are virtually indistinguishable truthful content, which made it very difficult for people to tell the difference.

He stated that a whole-of-government approach spanning multiple departments was necessary to combat the spread of disinformation in Canada.

We are at a crucial moment in our public discourse. We are witnessing a growing amount of disinformation and misinformation based on extremist ideologydid he declare.

An academic analysis of more than six million tweets, their shares and their origins revealed that Canada is being targeted by Russia to influence public opinion there.

Research conducted this month by the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy found that a large number of tweets and retweets about the war in Ukraine can be tied to Russia and China, and that Many of these tweets expressing pro-Russian sentiment are linked to the United States.

Ministers announced their intention to introduce an Online Harms Bill which would tackle online abuse – including racial slurs, anti-Semitism and offensive statements aimed at members of the LGBTQ community.

It follows an earlier online hate bill released just before last year’s federal election. The project did not become law.

Tackling misinformation

The expert panel, which also includes law and politics professors from across the country, said a bill should not only tackle online abuse, including child abuse, but also address accounts for false and misleading information online.

This could include coordinated disinformation campaigns used to create, disseminate and amplify misinformation, including the use of software agent that performs repetitive tasks and their networks. This also includes inauthentic accounts and deepfakes.

Some experts on the panel said the bill should also tackle false advertising, misleading political communications and content that contributes to unrealistic body image.

The group said the platforms would have the duty to act to fight against harmful content online, including misinformation, by conducting risk assessments of content that may cause significant physical or psychological harm to individuals.

Some experts on the panel cautioned that counter-disinformation measures need to be crafted carefully so they cannot be misused by governments to justify censorship of journalism or criticism.

Children are most at risk

Their warning was echoed by Emmett Macfarlane, a constitutional law expert at the University of Waterloo.

There are always valid concerns about the potential for overbreadth and unintended consequences arising from this type of law. Our existing criminal laws on hate speech and obscenity have resulted in material being unjustly restricted or blocked at the border, for exampledid he declare.

According to the 12 experts on the panel, who have just completed their work, misinformation and false messages could pose higher risks for children.

They recommended that the bill place strict requirements on social media companies and other platforms to remove content that depicts or promotes child abuse and exploitation.

A few of the members criticized the platforms for not removing this content immediately, saying that the current performance of online services in removing child sexual exploitation material is unacceptable.

The group criticized platforms in general for reporting the percentage of harmful content they remove, but not how long it took to remove it.

Ottawa promises to do things well

Minister Rodriguez thanked the panel for completing its discussions last week, saying that their advice is essential in developing a legislative and regulatory framework to address this complex issue and help create a safe online space that protects all Canadians.

Freedom of expression is at the heart of everything we do, and Canadians should be able to express themselves freely and openly without fear of harm online, and our government is committed to taking the time to get it righthe promised.

The Minister also thanked the Citizens’ Assembly, a group of 45 Canadians studying the impact of digital technology on democracy, for its guidance. At a conference last week, the group stressed the importance of tackling the spread of misinformation online, saying it can manipulate public opinion.