Question Period Note: Foreign Interference - Threats to Communities

• There has been an increase in the frequency and sophistication of foreign interference and transnational repression (TNR) by countries, such as the People’s Republic of China, Russia, India and Iran, seeking to advance their political, economic and security interests to the detriment of Canada’s.
• Canada has introduced several significant measures to combat misinformation, disinformation, and TNR.

• The government is aware that certain foreign states intimidate, coerce, harass, and harm people in Canada and their relatives living abroad. These actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

• We are committed to strengthening our mechanisms of detection, deterrence and disruption to minimize foreign interference in Canada. One of our best tools to defend against these threats is to build societal resilience through community engagements and educational campaigns.

• Bill C-70, the Countering Foreign Interference Act, enacted in 2024, amended a number of existing offences and created new ones to directly combat foreign interference and transnational repression.

• Bill C-70 also introduced a new disclosure authority for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to provide more information to partners outside the Government of Canada, including Canadian communities, industry, and academia, to increase awareness and build resilience against national security threats.

• The government is committed to developing and delivering targeted discussions with vulnerable community members and provincial partners, to enhance public safety and equip communities at-risk with protective resources, including South Asian communities that may be at risk of transnational repression.

• Anyone who feels threatened online or in person, should report these incidents to their local police, or contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) National Security Information Network.

Threat Environment
• Foreign regimes, emboldened by increasing isolationism, political polarization and muscular nationalism in historically democratic societies, are seeking to undermine the foundations of democracies, like Canada’s. Some of these states, and their proxies, have publicly interfered in our elections and openly targeted members of diaspora communities. They have silenced dissent and leveraged disinformation and propaganda to foster societal rifts and promote their world view. Technological advances, like artificial intelligence, surveillance tech, and encrypted communications, have further enabled these actors by anonymizing activities and lowering the costs of operations. Canada and its allies need to rapidly adapt to deter and disrupt the ongoing operations of those threat actors.
Bill C-70, Countering Foreign Interference Act
• Bill C-70, which received royal assent on June 20, 2024, bolsters Canada's ability to detect, disrupt, and counter foreign interference. It also introduced several measures to combat misinformation, disinformation, and TNR including:
o The most significant update to the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service Act (CSIS Act) since the Act was brought into force in 1984;
o Modernizing foreign interference offences in the Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act (formerly the Security of Information Act) and the sabotage offence in the Criminal Code;
o Changes to the Canada Evidence Act to establish a standardized regime for handling sensitive information in administrative proceedings; and
o A framework for a new Foreign Influence Transparency Registry, which will be administered by an independent Foreign Influence Transparency Commissioner.

If Pressed
Q1- Misinformation and Disinformation
• The Government is committed to upholding the integrity of the information space and fostering a more informed and resilient public and we are actively working to combat misinformation and disinformation by foreign actors through several initiatives.
• Canada leads the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism Secretariat, which strengthens coordination between G7 countries to identify and respond to foreign threats to democracy.
• The government dedicates resources to uncover false claims by state actors and counter them with facts. For example, Canada has exposed disinformation campaigns from Russia and China.
• By raising awareness and educating the public about disinformation, the government helps communities become more resilient and better equipped to identify and reject false information
Q2- Transnational Repression
• transnational repression (TNR) and Foreign Interference (FI) continue to be pervasive threats. Canada has dedicated significant resources to combatting these issues.
• Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has identified an increasing trend in the use of acts of TNR by authoritarian governments in an attempt to silence their perceived critics and dissidents outside of their national borders.
• Hostile state actors use a variety of tactics to extend their reach into Canada, including physical intimidation/violence, threats against oversees relatives, manipulation of legal mechanisms (i.e., refusing visas), community ostracism or malicious digital activity.
• Bill C-70 now gives Canada’s police additional laws to protect Canadians from transnational repression. For example, under S.20 (Foreign Influence Intimidation, Threats or Violence) new offences under C-70 make it much easier for police to investigate those agencies who have been harassing or intimidating individuals.
• CSIS continues to work closely with Canada’s vulnerable communities as partners in investigating and building resiliency against this threat.
• Canada’s National Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to detect, deter and counteract foreign interference/transnational repression that threatens Canada’s democratic institutions. This includes engagements with vulnerable communities and key community partners such as police of jurisdiction.
• As announced by the Prime Minister on June 17, 2025, leaders of the G7 have committed to working collectively to foster a common understanding of TNR and promote accountability.