Here are some resources to raise awareness and to help ensure the success of Justin Willcott’s petition[1] that has been gaining some traction recently (4000 signatures as of Feb 21, 2025).
The stated goal of the petition is
to transition official government communications away from X/Twitter to more secure, community-regulated platforms that prioritise public safety, accurate information, and accessibility. We encourage the government to explore publicly accountable alternatives, including decentralised networks, to ensure reliable and responsible communication with Canadians.
This petition is not scheduled to close until May 21, 2025, but given the alarming state of public discourse, and in particular, X’s deep involvement in the disruption of long-standing political and economic alliances, time is of the essence.
The second parliamentary session is scheduled to begin March 24, 2025.
In the meantime, all parties will be deeply sensitive to public opinion. A new Prime Minister will be selected at a Liberal Party convention within a few weeks, and an election will be called, at the latest by October.
Needless to say, this petition is only a small part of what needs to be done to address the adversarial threats Canadians are facing from this abrupt and unprecedented hostility from an extraordinarily powerful and deeply integrated foreign country.
The first step is to raise awareness among federal politicians about these risks to the control of official government communications. Regardless of the results of the petition, every politician in Canada must take a stand on the reliance of hostile foreign infrastructure to the communication and data security of our country. The more they hear calls for a strong stand, the more unified we can be in addressing this serious threat.
There are currently 1029 official Canadian government social media accounts[2]
Fortunately the House of Commons Open Data standards[3] make it easy to put together mailing lists or telephone calling lists of current Members of Parliament and their constituency offices[4].
A broader strategy for the federation of everything is certainly desirable, but it starts with meaningful first steps like this. Whether public communications transition to the fediverse or not is a more complex discussion, and it largely depends on the ability of Canadians to find and use alternative platforms that provide the engagement and content that they need.
There is an economic tsunami coming. We need to be prepared.
References
[1] Petition e-5359 - Petitions
[2] https://www.canada.ca/en/social.html
[3] Open Data - House of Commons of Canada
[4] Current Members of Parliament - Members of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada
