Canada drafts law to stop foreign election meddling

TORONTO >> In the wake of allegations of Russian interference in elections in the United States and elsewhere, the Canadian government unveiled sweeping legislation this week to ban foreign entities from spending money to influence elections, require “identifying taglines” on all political advertising and force political parties to reveal what voter information they collect.

The bill comes as concerns mount about the potential of foreign adversaries and social media platforms to influence elections.

But the measure may be too little, too late: Even if the bill passes before lawmakers break for summer recess, there might not be enough time to implement the changes before the next federal election in 2019. And it is likely to face opposition in the Senate.

Under the proposed bill, foreign entities would be banned from spending money to influence elections; previously they could spend up to $500 Canadian dollars. Third parties would be barred from working with other organizations to flout the rules on foreign spending. Ads from political parties or third parties would have to carry “identifying taglines.” And organizations that sell advertising space, such as social media companies, would be prohibited from “knowingly” accepting election ads from foreign entities.

A privacy and digital technology expert argued that while the bill is a good first step, it is still lacking.

“There are no requirements for what happens when the political parties tell us one thing (in their online statement) but then do another because there are no audits, oversight bodies or enforcement mechanisms,” said Elizabeth Dubois, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa who focuses on digital democratic accountability and engagement. “We actually need these political parties to feel like they need to respect the privacy of the voters.”