For the first time in Canadian history, cyber security is emerging as a major issue for the federal election. Increasingly, malicious actors use digital techniques to amplify social discord and break down trust. Addressing these threats in advance of the 2019 election is especially challenging in an era of widespread social media use, micro-targeted political advertising and fake news.

As part of CIGI’s Speaker Series, Minister of Democratic Institutions Karina Gould leads a discussion about protecting the democratic election process from foreign cyber interference. After speaking about the government of Canada’s strategy, Minister Gould answered questions from CIGI’s Aaron Shull, as well as the audience.