David Salvo, ISD’s Managing Director of Transatlantic Policy and Programming, spoke before Canada’s House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs at a hearing earlier this week on the current state of civic resilience in the country. 

David spoke alongside Josh Dehaas, Interim Litigation Director at the Canadian Constitution Foundation, and Ai-Men Lau, an independent research assistant. 

In his testimony, David cited ISD’s research on the rise of foreign state actors, non-state actors and domestic extremists targeting specific communities in Canada, the consequences of which directly or indirectly undermine Canada’s democratic resilience. 

“In general, we’ve witnessed a rise in domestic extremism in Canada, including white supremist groups that increasingly mobilize offline through various social clubs and whose online activity either incites violence or even when engaging in lawful speech serves to drive polarization and isolate marginalized communities,” he said. “Amidst this backdrop there are foreign interference operations that seek to intimate Canadian citizens, undermine the integrity of Canadian elections and further polarize Canadian society.”     

David also called for: 

• The establishment of a nonpartisan Canadian democracy fund that could allocate greater resources to Canadian civil society efforts to address these threats, particularly at the local level.  
• A legislative framework that defends the rights of Canadian citizens online, one that requires social media companies to effectively address illegal content online and demands greater transparency, including of algorithmic systems to understand how platforms curate speech rather than facilitate a true marketplace of ideas.  
• A mechanism for Canadians to appeal and seek redress when companies make incorrect content moderation decisions that do not align with Canadian law or their terms of service. 
• Canada to work with trusted allies and partners on making long-term investments in digital infrastructure that upholds democratic principles and considers national security threats like foreign interference and hybrid operations. 

Watch David’s opening remarks on our YouTube.