Letter to Elected Officials on Govt Comms Platforms

THIS IS A SUGGESTED APPROACH TO DRAFT A LETTER TO ELECTED OFFICIALS.. FEEL FREE TO EDIT THE SECTIONS AS NEEDED

Introduction:

My name is [Your Name], a concerned citizen from [Your City/Town], and I am writing to you regarding the critical issue of how our government communicates with Canadians in the digital age. I support the citizen-initiated petition (from Justin Willicot of Calgary, AB) concerning government communications on social media platforms, which is now being supported by Charlie Angus https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-5359

Define the Problem:

The continued use of X (formerly Twitter) as an official government communication channel raises significant concerns for several reasons:

  • The platform has experienced drastic reductions in content moderation staff and changes in policy that have led to increased misinformation and harmful content
  • Government communications are subject to algorithmic amplification that may prioritize controversial content over factual information
  • Many Canadians have left the platform due to concerns about its management and content policies
  • There is no public accountability for how the platform functions or makes decisions affecting public discourse
  • Essential government information should not be dependent on a privately owned platform with rapidly changing policies

Give Solutions:

I believe our government should:

  • Move government announcements to safer, more trustworthy online spaces that answer to the public, not private companies (Government should share information where it is safe for all people to access)
  • Try community-owned social networks where no single company makes all the rules (Support online spaces that are owned by companies, not billionaires)
  • Make sure important government information is available in multiple places, especially on official government websites (Make official information available across multiple platforms so you don't need specific apps to stay informed)
  • Create clear rules about which online platforms the government should use, focusing on safety, truth, and making sure everyone can access the information (Create digital spaces where accurate information matters more than engagement or likes)

Provide a Plan:

These are some prelim notions, let' get some consensus on this

Formally endorse the citizen-initiated petition championed by Charlie Angus and share it with your constituents Review existing information and reports from the Privacy Commissioner regarding data security concerns with commercial social media platforms Allocate staff resources to draft a Private Member's Bill establishing:

  • Requirements for government departments to maintain presence on at least one publicly-owned or decentralized platform
  • Creation of a Digital Public Infrastructure Fund to support Canadian-made alternatives

Host a town hall in our riding to discuss this issue—my network and I would be happy to help identify relevant academics and digital security experts to participate Commit to a reasonable timeline (i.e. 6 months) for incorporating at least one alternative platform into your own office's communication channels

Share Stories:

Several public institutions have already demonstrated the viability of alternative approaches: The European Commission has established a presence on Mastodon, a decentralized platform The German government has invested in developing open-source alternatives for public communications Multiple Canadian publications have successfully implemented multi-platform communication strategies that don't rely exclusively on corporate-owned networks

Precede ending with Compelling Questions:

How can we ensure that vital government information reaches all Canadians, not just those who choose to use particular private platforms? What responsibility does our government have to model digital citizenship through its choice of communication channels? How do we balance the need for reaching Canadians where they are with the risks of legitimizing platforms that may spread misinformation? Shouldn't our democratic institutions communicate through channels that embody democratic values of transparency and accountability?

End with your closing statement:

I believe this issue transcends partisan politics and speaks to fundamental questions about how our democracy functions in the digital age. I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on this matter and learning what steps you might take to address these concerns.

Place to capture info: Unclear what is required, need to confirm

[Your Name] [Your Contact Information] [Your Postal Code - important to establish you as a constituent]

Examples of other intitutions:

Examples of Bluesky names:

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