Former public security minister Marco Mendicino told an inquiry into foreign interference on Thursday that governments and political parties should be required by law to disclose when they use artificial intelligence.
Mendicino and his successor, Dominic LeBlanc, said they have taken steps to support Canada against foreign interference, including the adoption of Bill C-70, but more can be done.
“I think the deployment of artificial intelligence and deepfakes is extremely concerning to me,” he told the inquiry on Thursday.
“And I believe there is policy and legislative work to be done there to require disclosure when incumbent governments and political parties use artificial intelligence as part of their communications and engagement with the public.”
Mendicino also called on the federal government to engage in more “digital diplomacy” using online platforms to ensure Elections Canada has the tools it needs to go after those who try to interfere with elections. He said there is.
Mendicino said the federal government should also work more closely with state and local governments that can be targets of foreign interference.
Conservative MP Michael Chong told the inquiry last month that Canada has become a playground for foreign interference, but Mendicino said the steps he and LeBlanc have taken have allowed foreign governments to control Canadian politics. It has become more difficult to intervene, he said.
“In my opinion, Canada is an obstacle to foreign interference, and we need to make it even more difficult going forward.”
Mr. Mendicino also criticized the National Security and Intelligence Committee (NSICOP) report released in June, which found that some members of Congress knowingly or unwittingly participated in foreign interference. It was concluded that it did. He said that conclusion goes beyond the information available.
“I believe they were doing their best to get to the heart of the matter,” he said. “The report itself appears to interpret information without actually naming the members of Congress.”
Under questioning from NDP MP Jenny Kwan’s attorney Sujit Chaudhry, Mendicino agreed that officials needed to clear the air on foreign interference and MPs.
“The entire conversation around foreign interference and members of Congress is turning into a kangaroo court, with little consideration given to the process of understanding how to evaluate information, especially given the rapidly evolving nature of intelligence.” “I’m very concerned about that,” he said.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s national security adviser Nathalie Drouin told the inquiry that while some MPs may have made poor decisions or engaged with the wrong people, there was no evidence of espionage or obstruction. He said no one committed any acts or betrayed Canada.
If members of Congress are participating in foreign interference, that is a matter for experts, Mendicino said.
“If members of Congress are at risk and they are sensibly participating in supporting our adversaries,” he said, the government needs “expertise to assess the rapidly evolving nature of intelligence operations.” “We should first accept advice from bipartisan officials with the highest standards.” He said if appropriate, the matter should be “turned over to law enforcement and hold them accountable as a means of holding them accountable.”
The investigation, chaired by Judge Marie-Josée Hogue, was launched following media reports accusing China of interfering in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Hogue’s first report, released in May, found that while there may have been foreign interference in a small number of ridings, it did not affect the overall election outcome.
More details later…
