Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

Facebook to launch election integrity effort in Canada

Published 2017-09-14, 04:44 p/m
Updated 2017-09-14, 04:50 p/m
© Reuters.  Facebook to launch election integrity effort in Canada

© Reuters. Facebook to launch election integrity effort in Canada

TORONTO, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc FB.O, under pressure over its role in possible Russian meddling in last year's U.S. presidential election, said it plans an election integrity initiative to protect Canada's next vote from cyber threats.

Karina Gould, Canada's minister of democratic institutions, will speak at a launch event next week, Facebook said Thursday in a statement announcing the project.

A company spokeswoman declined to discuss details of the project, which follows a warning by Canada's electronic spy agency in June that hackers will "very likely" try to influence Canada's 2019 elections. The agency said it is advising all political parties on how to guard against cyber threats. Facebook, the world's largest social network, said last week that an operation likely based in Russia had placed thousands of U.S. ads with polarizing views on topics such as immigration, race and gay rights on the site during a two-year period through May 2017. The company on Wednesday introduced tougher rules on who can make money from advertising on its network, responding to criticism that it was too easy to profit from fake news and sensational headlines. is launching the program in Canada as internet companies seek to fend off criticism they are not doing enough to thwart online interference with elections and politics.

"The spread of misinformation online can sway votes," said Anatoliy Gruzd, an academic studying social media and politics at Ryerson University, who is slated to speak at the Facebook launch.

"Platforms like Facebook and Twitter really need to put technical measures in place that would prevent the spread of fake information or the creation of groups that may promote hate speech," Gruzd said.

Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) TWTR.N was expected to brief U.S. congressional investigators soon on whether Russia used its advertising platform to promote divisive social and political messages, a U.S. senator said last week. which said last week it had seen no evidence of a Russian ad campaign on its platforms during last year's U.S. election, earlier this year offered to defend election organizers and civic groups against cyber attacks free of charge.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.