The federal government must do more to counter the threat of ideologically motivated violent extremism in Canada, including tightening terrorist financing laws to counter it, the House Security Committee has recommended.
In a report submitted before the House of Commons was lifted for the summer, the commission also recommended that the federal government work with the provinces to prevent what it describes as a growing threat in Canada and take steps to keep online businesses more responsible for extremist or hateful content. circulating on their platforms.
However, the commission also acknowledged that there were problems with any move to restrict free speech.
“Each member of this commission is sensitive to the issues of the charter that are involved in responding to the threat of [ideologically motivated violent extremism]IMVE “, the commission writes. “Any restriction on freedom of expression must be reasonable and justified in a free and democratic society.”
The commission’s report comes after Canada saw a series of ideologically motivated violent extremist attacks in recent years – a phenomenon that experts said the commission was on the rise and fueled by the pandemic blockade, which has led people to spend more time online.
Also coincides with cases that have come to light in recent years of members of the armed forces sympathizing with extremist groups.
In the report’s 32 comprehensive recommendations, the commission says Canada needs a national, multilateral strategy to tackle this type of violence.
He recommended that the government fund research to investigate how extremist organizations are trying to recruit members of the military and police forces. He also called on the government to strengthen the capacity of the Canadian Armed Forces and federal law enforcement agencies “to hold the staff of these agencies accountable when they are found to support violent extremist movements.”
Extremist content and digital platforms
Many of the experts who appeared before the committee warned about the role of digital platforms in allowing the distribution of extremist content; several of the commission’s recommendations address this issue.
The committee recommended that the government “examine the feasibility of a regulatory structure to hold platforms responsible for enforcing their terms of service,” adding that this could include the creation of a federal digital safety commissioner.
The committee also recommended that the government pursue bots and improve the transparency of the algorithms used by social media platforms.
“The government of Canada [should] Work with local and international partners to identify and remove online bots that extend extremist content, and encourage online platforms to provide collaboration and content authentication mechanisms … that allow users to filter content on that basis, the commission wrote.
It says the government should also work with platforms “to promote algorithmic transparency and phraseology for better content moderation solutions.”
The report also recommends that the government “both recognize and defend against the threats posed by violent extremism, including the violent extremism complained of, to Canada’s critical infrastructure.” He called on the government to ensure that police and prosecutors have the resources to investigate and prosecute attacks on critical infrastructure and personnel – and that they also adequately fund and modernize the Canadian security intelligence community.
The report calls for more government money for various groups, including front-line organizations that serve communities, as well as for research and training.
However, he also called for several steps to stifle the flow of funds to violent extremist groups, urging the government to “invest in its capacity to pursue [violent extremism]while ensuring that terrorist financing laws are properly adapted to address this threat. “
The Committee also called on the government to conduct a study on the role that crowdfunding platforms and cryptocurrencies play in the financing of violent extremism, while ensuring that the Terrorism and Money Laundering Authority in Canada, the Financial Transaction Analysis and Reporting Center of Canada (FINTRAC) has the power and resources to monitor suspicious transactions on crowdfunding platforms and cryptocurrencies.
Several of the witnesses outlined the threats faced by the Jewish and Muslim communities.
The report also recommends that the government appoint a special envoy for Islamophobia and extend the mandate of the existing envoy to preserve Holocaust remembrance and fight anti-Semitism, “to include more educational awareness of the Holocaust.”
The Commission was also outspoken when it came to Israel, recommending that the government “completely reject the demonization and delegitimization of the State of Israel and condemn any attempt by Canadian organizations, groups or individuals, including university campus associations, to promote these views, both at home and abroad. “
Finally, the committee pointed out that the fight against hatred and extremism is a shared jurisdiction and the federal government should work with the provinces and territories to develop best practices, train and summit them on how to improve the capacity to mental health and social services to intervene in the early stages.
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