Question Period Note: Digital Citizen Initiative: Targeted call related to COVID-19

As part of phase I of the $500 million temporary Emergency Support Fund to Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations, the Government is investing $3.5M in activities to counter disinformation related to COVID-19. To date, the Minister of Canadian Heritage has announced that the Government is investing $3 million in several civil society organizations through the Digital Citizen Initiative’s Digital Citizen Contribution Program. This funding will help combat false and misleading COVID-19 information as well as the racism and stigmatization that are often the result. Funded projects will reach Canadians on a national and local scale, online and offline, in minority communities, in both official languages and in Indigenous communities.

• Now more than ever, Canadians need to be able to find reliable news and information. That is why we are investing $3.5 million in several organizations to help combat false and misleading COVID-19 information as well as the racism and stigmatization that are often the result.
• This isn’t about controlling what citizens read, but rather equipping them with the tools and skills to think critically about the information they find online.
• This work is being done by civil society organizations that are arms-length from government.

Digital Citizen Initiative
• On January 30, 2019, the Minister of Democratic Institutions announced the Government of Canada’s approach to protecting Canada’s democracy. This includes a $7 million investment by the Department of Canadian Heritage in citizen-focused activities to strengthen citizens’ critical thinking about online disinformation, their ability to be more resilient against online harms, as well as their ability to get involved in democratic processes.
• In 2019-20, more than 20 projects in the form of civic, news, and digital media literacy offered through third-party activities and programming were funded, ranging from awareness sessions and workshops to development of learning materials to foster digital media and civic awareness.
• Budget 2019 earmarked an additional $19.4 million over four years for the Digital Citizen Initiative (DCI), including funding for: the creation of the Digital Citizen Contribution Program (DCCP), a joint research initiative with the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada and a contribution agreement to support the Public Policy Forum’s (PPF) Digital Democracy Project.
• In 2019-20, the focus for the DCCP will be on funding projects to better understand online disinformation and other online harms, how they evolve in a Canadian context and how they impact Canadians differently, as well as understand what success looks like in the building citizen resilience and digital media literacy space, and the impact of these types of activities in a Canadian context. From year to year, the DCI will reassess its focus and will adapt its guidelines accordingly.
Open Government Commitments
• On July 20, 2018, the Government announced its intention to bolster democracy in light of disinformation, in the context of Canada’s draft open government commitments. A commitment regarding healthy democracy specifically names PCH as one of the lead departments (along with Global Affairs Canada and Privy Council Office).
Targeted Call to Counter Online Misinformation Related to COVID-19
• On March 13, 2020, the DCI targeted 10 select civil society organizations, from across the country that the program knew from previous projects in the area of combating misinformation. The targeted organizations had six days to apply. The purpose of this special call related to COVID-19 was to build on organizations preexisting projects. Eight organizations were selected. To date, the Government has announced that it had committed $3 million of the $3.5 million. An additional $500,000 has been ear-marked for additional projects, which should be announced shortly.
• This investment is part of the phase I measures providing relief to the cultural, sport and heritage sectors. It will fund activities, such as public awareness tools and online workshops, to help Canadians increase their resilience and be critical of misinformation about COVID -19. Funded projects will reach people nationally and locally, online and offline, in Aboriginal and minority communities, in both official languages.
Contested Recipient Choice
• The DCI has received several questions regarding one of the projects it recently funded under the targeted call to address online misinformation related to COVID-19. The organization in question is the Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick (SANB), which was awarded $434,725 for a fact-checking portal on COVID-19. The project is in progress and should be officially launched soon.
• The parties contesting the choice of the SANB argue that the Corporation would be working outside its mandate, something its Executive Director, Ali Chaisson, contested noting that his organization is already active in the disinformation sphere having launched ExactNB platform, which provides users simple tools to detect fake news and reliable information to counter it. The additional funding will assist in adding content on COVID-19 on this platform.
• Following a standardized evaluation process that was as rigorous as any other funding application evaluation process conducted by the program, the SANB project was selected. The project fits well with the program's objectives and is complementary to the other projects selected.
• It is possible that another special call will be launched in the future, which will most likely be open to all. The Digital Citizenship Initiative is taking the time to discuss with all stakeholders who request it.

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