Online Harms: The Commission

In this #DeepTakes series, we’re exploring online harms and what Canada can do about them. Today we’re talking about PPF’s Commission on Democratic Expression and their work to grapple with the challenges at hand.  

The Commission grappled with the very same challenges outlined by our guests in episodes 1 and 2 of this series so I wanted to know they came to consensus on necessary steps forward.  

I’m pleased to be joined by three of the Commissioners: Taylor Owen, Merelda Fiddler-Potter, and Amira Elghawaby. 

The Year 1 Commission report, Harms Reduction: A Six-Step Program To Protect Democratic Expression Online, provided six key recommendations. 

1. A Duty to Act responsibly for platforms 
2. A new digital regulator,  
3. A world-leading transparency regime,  
4. A social media council,  
5. E-tribunals, and  
6. A mechanism to remove content that provides an imminent threat to a person.  

For Year 2, the Commission considered how to make social media platforms more transparent and accountable to Canadian users. Their report was released on May 4th and can be found here