Elections Canada's Environmental Monitoring

As part of its mandate to provide accurate information about the federal electoral process and as an extension of its traditional media monitoring, Elections Canada (EC) monitors publicly available social media and digital content for information about the federal electoral process.

The agency monitors publicly available content for:

• Inaccurate/misleading information about when, where, and the ways to register or vote
• Inaccurate/misleading information about EC's mandate or operations
• Reports of incidents or threats that could impact EC's operations
• Impersonation of EC
• Posts expressing Canadian electors' sentiment toward the administration of the election: confusion or concerns about voting experiences

EC's monitoring activities have been set out in a Privacy Impact Assessment.

The agency uses digital platform monitoring tools and keyword searches to capture relevant content then collates it for later reporting. The agency does not monitor specific accounts, individuals or organizations. It also does not look into the source of the information observed online.

EC uses its understanding of the information environment to develop and update its communication products (including its website and social media accounts). It also uses it to react quickly to inaccurate narratives about its mandate through its various communication channels. EC shares with its security partners, including the Commissioner of Canada Elections (CCE), its high-level analyses of the information observed in the environment. Based on their mandate and expertise, the CCE may take further action if they suspect a contravention of the Canada Elections Act.