Site MenuAdvisory Committee of Political Parties – Meeting Summary – February 13 and 14, 2019
11. Elections Canada’s Approach to Digital Information at the 43rd General Election
Presenter: Jane Dunlop (Senior Director, Electoral Integrity Project Coordination Office)
Ms. Dunlop briefed party representatives on Elections Canada’s approach to monitoring and responding to information that could interfere with Canadians’ ability to register and vote at the 43rd general election. She highlighted both the risks and opportunities that the current digital environment presents for the democratic process.
Ms. Dunlop explained that, where the goal of disinformation is to suppress the ability of individuals to vote and/or cause a loss of confidence in the fairness of the election, Elections Canada will act within the limits of its mandate by championing electoral integrity and fairness while remaining politically neutral and non-partisan; focusing on detecting and responding to inaccurate information; and acting on information related to the administration of the electoral process.
The session concluded with a question and answer period with ACPP members. Elections Canada answered questions about:
- Whether Elections Canada will be monitoring and responding to issues at the riding level or just at the national level;
- Whether Elections Canada had information on how many private for-profit corporations are undertaking the same kinds of activities as Cambridge Analytica;
- How to address issues of impersonation such as online accounts claiming to be representatives or candidates of a given political party; and
- Potential foreign influence of elections.