Countering foreign disinformation: Building a resilient Canadian democracy through stronger education and regulation

Abstract

Canada's Foreign Interference Commission released its initial report in May 2024, expressing concerns about meddling by foreign actors in Canadian elections and threats to public confidence in Canada's democratic institutions. Just three days later, the Canadian government tabled its response in the form of Bill C-70, the Countering Foreign Interference Act. Both constitute considerable progress and demonstrate Ottawa's willingness to act against the growing threat. However, both are limited—the report focusing on internal institutional dynamics, and Bill C-70 remaining mostly silent on one of the most important tactics of interfering countries: disinformation. Does Canada have the tools to respond to this threat effectively? In examining the Commission's reports, Bill C-70, and current Canadian practices, we argue that while Ottawa already deploys tactics to counter disinformation, it could do more by implementing two tested strategies: working with provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments to integrate media literacy within education curriculums, and implementing stronger regulation of social media platforms responsible for circulating disinformation.