The fake news phenomenon is taking over the airwaves. But what does “fake news” even mean — and is it possible to legislate against it without sending us down a censorship rabbit hole?

The continued failure to reform our outdated Access to Information Act has led to a backlogged, inefficient system for accessing public information, seriously infringing the public’s collective right to know. Policies prohibiting federal scientists from speaking about their research are preventing Canadians from having detailed, reliable information about our environment.  Most recently, Bill C-51 poses a serious threat to free expression through its expansion of digital surveillance. This legislation will give Canadian security agencies the unjustifiable ability to spy on individuals who have done nothing wrong, without creating any additional accountability, oversight, or justification that these measures are necessary or effective.