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Canadian Internet Governance Forum 2024
Canada on the world stage
About CIGF
1
Executive summary
2
Discussion insights and priorities
3
Conclusion
4
Agenda
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Presenting sponsor
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The Canadian Internet Governance Forum (CIGF) is Canada’s premier multi-stakeholder forum for digital policy dialogue, dedicated to fostering open conversations about the most pressing public policy issues facing the internet. The CIGF is a recognized national initiative of the United Nations-convened global Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Since 2019, CIGF has convened hundreds of stakeholders—both virtually and in-person—from government, civil society, academia, the private sector and the technical community to tackle a wide range of issues and identify solutions grounded in common Canadian values.    

Each year, the CIGF reports on the national priorities identified by the Canadian internet community. The findings are submitted to the IGF Secretariat and shared at National and Regional Initiative (NRI) sessions hosted at the global IGF, as well as among domestic decision-makers.

2024

All-Hands Committee

CIGF is driven by a multi-stakeholder All-hands committee. 2024 members include:

The CIGF is inclusive and non-commercial in organizational structure and process development. CIGF 2024: Canada on the world stage was a free event, open to all, and took place in a hybrid format; the in-person component took place at The Collaboration Centre in Ottawa, ON.

Executive summary

On November 27, 2024, the Canadian Internet Governance Forum (CIGF) convened at The Collaboration Centre in downtown Ottawa, bringing together the Canadian multistakeholder internet community to share ideas and discuss and debate the most pressing issues in internet governance.  

The theme of this year’s conference was Canada on the world stage, reflecting the dynamic intersection of global internet governance and international affairs. Participants heard a variety of valuable perspectives from thought leaders on the myriad challenges confronting the Canadian and global internet. Key topics of discussion included the impacts of generative AI on the health of democratic nations and institutions; ongoing regulatory efforts, such as Bill C-63, to hold social media platforms accountable for reducing online harms, especially among children and youth; and the importance of strengthening multistakeholder internet governance during upcoming dialogues, like the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Review.  

This report outlines priorities for Canadian businesses, governments, technical operators, civil society groups, academics and end-users involved with internet governance domestically and abroad. It focuses on drawing out the common threads between the insights and recommendations put forward in different sessions. 

The negative impacts of online activity in the offline world emerged as a core theme that cut across multiple conference sessions. Of particular concern was the growing use of generative AI to disseminate deepfakes and other forms of disinformation for political purposes and the role of social media algorithms in exposing users to online harms. Participants heard that governments must craft wise and pragmatic legislation to minimize the impacts of these harms on Canadians, and looks to the multistakeholder community for their support in ensuring the success of new regulation.  

In addition, several speakers remarked on the inflection point in internet governance, against the backdrop of a multipolar, conflict-stricken world. Keynotes and panelists elaborated on the many threats to a free and open internet, including geopolitical dynamics, cyber attacks, climate change, and ongoing consolidation in technology markets. Participants discussed why multistakeholderism must remain the dominant model for internet governance and gained fresh perspectives on how to engage and collaborate more effectively to support the Government of Canada at upcoming international dialogues, such as the WSIS+20 review. 

CIGF 2024 was livestreamed and proceedings in English can be found on the Canadian IGF YouTube channel. 

Discussion insights and priorities

Keeping the internet free, open, interoperable, secure and resilient

Keeping the internet free, open, interoperable, secure and resilient was a recurring theme that informed virtually every keynote and panel, with unanimous agreement among participants that multistakeholder internet governance represents the best path forward to uphold these principles. 

Participants heard about the many challenges that threaten this vision, including those from various geopolitical forces with competing perspectives. In the United Nations context, certain Member States continue to advance a multilateral view of the internet which would see governments play a greater role in how critical internet resources are managed. CIGF panellists emphasized that Member States that share this vision are well-resourced, highly motivated and continue to work diligently to influence international negotiations. 

While non-state actors continue to profit from cyber attacks on both private and public sector targets globally, cyber operations have also become a standard tool of statecraft. Nation states regularly use cyber threats against their adversaries to further their military, economic and geopolitical goals, and in some cases, simply to sow chaos.  

Climate change also threatens the multistakeholder model of internet governance. Physical network infrastructure is increasingly at risk during major climate events such as floods and wildfires, impacting service delivery, hampering communication and slowing emergency response.  Another key threat to a free and open internet cited by panelists is the ongoing consolidation in the technology market, which sees a handful of large and powerful corporations wielding more control over internet infrastructure, content distribution and online services.  

As it continues to evolve rapidly, generative AI has enormous potential to disrupt and derail efforts to further the goals of multistakeholderism by advancing cybersecurity threats, for example. AI technologies make it easy for bad actors to flood social media platforms with misinformation at scale, spreading anti-democratic narratives and undermining trust in democratic institutions.   

With these formidable obstacles standing in the way, governments, civil society, the technical community, the private sector, academic and end-user communities must demonstrate that multistakeholder internet governance works and is still relevant in this complex, rapidly changing environment. Success will involve extensive collaboration among all stakeholder groups to mobilize effectively at the global level.   

Key takeaways

  • There’s an urgent need to address the issues facing the internet, like threats to infrastructure, while preserving its core values. 
  • Multistakeholder internet governance must continue to produce meaningful solutions, as governments who favour a multilateral approach are working to influence global internet governance dialogues like the WSIS +20 Review. 
  • The technical community and private sector must continue to develop technology solutions that enhance internet resilience and reliability. 
  • Canadian organizations across every sector must continue to invest in robust cybersecurity measures to reduce the impact of cyber attacks. 
  • The Canadian internet community must take steps to support the internet’s use as a tool for public good and leverage new technologies for public benefit.
The World Summit on the Information Society +20 Review and the future of multistakeholder internet governance

During several CIGF sessions, participants heard that we are at an inflection point in the evolution of internet governance. In the current multipolar geopolitical environment, the multistakeholder model of internet governance, which underpins the global day-to-day operation of the internet, is increasingly under threat. What’s at stake is a free, open, secure, resilient and interoperable internet for the 21st century. 

The adoption of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024 was a significant milestone, with a recognition that internet governance “must continue to be global and multistakeholder in nature…” However, the GDC process illuminated the challenges ahead during the upcoming WSIS+20 Review in 2025. 

While the WSIS+20 Review presents an opportunity to re-affirm the global commitment to the multistakeholder governance model, many well-resourced and -coordinated Member States are persistent in their efforts to tip the balance in favour of multilateralism over multistakeholderism. The WSIS+20 Review will influence whether the global multistakeholder community continues to have the same say in internet governance, or whether governments will gain more influence over the internet’s day-to-day operation.  

The Canadian multistakeholder internet community must actively support the Government of Canada’s engagement in the WSIS+20 Review by providing perspectives, data and insights. And the Government of Canada should continue to actively seek out these views. There are also other efforts like A Technical Community Coalition for Multistakeholderism (TCCM) that see Canadian operators partnering with global technical community members to advocate for multistakeholder internet governance.  

Among proponents of multistakeholder internet governance, there is broad agreement that the multistakeholder model needs to evolve to overcome its shortcomings and better meet the challenges of 2025. The Canadian multistakeholder internet community and the Government of Canada must continue to work together to support Canada’s leadership in shaping the future of internet governance, particularly during the WSIS+20 Review.  

Key takeaways

  • The WSIS+20 Review provides an opportunity to reaffirm the global commitment to the multistakeholder model of internet governance.  
  • The Canadian multistakeholder internet community must actively support government engagement in the WSIS +20 process by providing perspectives, data and insights.  
  • The multistakeholder model can be improved by being more inclusive, accessible and resilient against external threats. 
Empowering and protecting youth online

In multiple sessions, conference participants heard about the urgent need to protect children and youth from the significant harms they are exposed to online, particularly while using social media platforms.  

Panel discussions focused on social media business models, which depend on users consuming as much content as possible to drive ad revenue and profits. To achieve this, companies make their technology addictive by design, employing sophisticated algorithms to maximize views. This is especially problematic for children, who have minimal control over the material that is distributed to them while using social apps. Panelists argued that social media algorithms are designed to show progressively more extreme content, which is more stimulating and therefore more addictive. 

As children and youth spend many hours on social platforms every day, they are continually exposed to various types of harmful content, which research shows is having adverse effects on their mental health. Despite this, very few standards, controls and protocols have been put in place on these platforms to ensure their safety. 

Fortunately, as panelists noted, expectations are changing and educators, child advocates and governments are pushing back on social media companies to make meaningful changes, such as Meta’s introduction in late 2024 of more restrictive Instagram accounts for teens.  

Governments are also introducing legislation designed to protect children. Australia passed a new law banning children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms in November 2024. The Government of Canada had introduced Bill C-63 (The Online Harms Act)—which subsequently died after parliamentary prorogation after CIGF 2024 was held—which holds social media platforms responsible for addressing harmful content and for creating a safer online space that protects all Canadians, especially children.   

Panelists advocated that Canada has an opportunity to do much more on this issue. Harnessing more sophisticated age-assurance and other advanced technologies to create a defence-in-depth strategy for online harm reduction is one area for further exploration.  

There’s also an urgent need to bring youth into the multistakeholder dialogue on internet governance, particularly around issues of child safety online. These are important voices that bring valuable perspectives on technology developments, use cases and policies for improving the digital world. To date, they have been largely excluded from such consultations in internet governance environments.   

Key takeaways

  • Youth and children are an important stakeholder group that should be included in multistakeholder internet governance dialogue for issues that affect them.
  • Social media platforms should have more safety standards and protocols to promote healthy online behaviour and protect vulnerable users. 
Regulating and improving social media

Conference participants heard that social media platforms are rife with misinformation and other harmful and illegal content. They also heard that social media is a key battleground in an online world increasingly marked by toxic interactions. As a result, the information ecosystem is in disarray and its conditions are rapidly evolving.  

It was noted how the introduction of new technologies, such as generative AI, can exacerbate problems by enabling bad actors to disseminate deepfakes and other new forms of misinformation quickly and easily. These activities spread false narratives, aggravate political polarization and undermine trust in institutions. CIGF panelists dissected these and other challenges and discussed various ideas for making social media better.  

Legislation has a significant role to play in improving social media, in particular by helping to reduce online harms. The Government of Canada had introduced Bill C-63, the Online Harms Act, which was developed to hold social media platforms accountable for harmful content, reinstate mechanisms for hate speech complaints, strengthen response to hate crimes and mandate reporting of child pornography.  

Panelists mostly agreed that this kind of legislation is a positive step but argued that legislation alone is not sufficient for improving online safety. Ongoing collaboration between government and social media companies, as well as the broader multistakeholder internet community, is critical to ensure that initiatives like Bill C-63 are as effective as possible.  

In crafting new protective laws, regulations need to be technology-neutral and principles based.  Regulators should monitor technological and legislative developments to keep up with the rapid pace of technology developments. Using a consultative approach to build trusted relationships with various communities, including youth and marginalized groups, is vitally important for getting it right. There’s also an opportunity for Canada to learn from the experiences of other countries, such as Australia, France and Germany, who have implemented similar legislation. 

As several panelists argued, education is another critical ingredient for mitigating this very complex problem, a fact that regulators have been slow to acknowledge. With robust digital literacy education, users develop a more thorough understanding of technology and what it can and can’t do, as well as the responsibilities they have as users of that technology. This enables them to better protect themselves from online harms.  

Key takeaways

  • Multistakeholder collaboration is necessary for a holistic approach to challenges posed by deepfakes, misinformation and other forms of harmful content online.  
  • Media and digital literacy programs should be prioritized across the country to help citizens engage responsibly, respectfully and safely online.  
  • Transparency and accountability are essential to rebuild trust in government institutions and large technology companies. 
  • Implementation of online harms legislation and the establishment of a regulator should be principles-driven and technology-neutral to ensure flexibility, adaptability and responsiveness to people’s needs.  

Conclusion

Among CIGF 2024 participants there is broad recognition that multistakeholderism is essential for tackling the challenges in internet governance and digital policy confronting the Canadian and global internet in 2025 and beyond. Asserting the vision of multistakeholderism on the international stage is more important than ever in an increasingly multipolar world in which a growing number of governments continue to advocate forcefully in favour of a multilateral approach.  

Along with recognizing the importance of championing the multistakeholder vision, conference participants see a strong connection between the many complex problems we see online and the significant issues Canadians are experiencing offline. These include the spread of misinformation, a problem which is being exacerbated by users’ ready access to powerful capabilities of generative AI, and the negative impacts of social media use on the mental health of Canadian youth. These are urgent issues that need to be addressed holistically and comprehensively.  

As the Canadian multistakeholder community works to achieve these and other important goals, there is considerable work to be done to ensure decision-making processes are more inclusive. For example, groups that have historically been left out of the process, such as children and youth, need to be actively brought into the conversation, particularly on issues that affect them directly. 

Moving forward, continued collaboration among the multistakeholder community built on mutual trust and accountability can unlock further innovation to mitigate the negative externalities caused by the internet to create a safe, secure digital future.  

Canada’s strength in internet governance and international affairs positions it well to lead advocacy efforts for the multistakeholder model in the WSIS+20 Review.  

AGENDA

  • 9:00 A.M.
  • Welcome to Canadian IGF 2024
    Victoria Kuketz, Catalyst & Public Policy Forum
  • 9:10 – 9:30 A.M.
  • Keynote 1: How to secure the future of a free and open internet
    Byron Holland, CIRA
  • 9:30 – 10:30 A.M.
  • Panel 1: Upholding the principles of the internet in the 2020s

Speakers

  • Alexandra Posadzki, The Globe and Mail (Moderator)
  • Mark Surman, Mozilla Foundation
  • Adiel Akplogan, ICANN
  • Michele Austin, Bell Canada
  • Andre Arbour, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
  • 10:50 – 11:00 A.M.
  • Youth spotlight: Readout from the Youth Internet Governance Forum
    Dana Cramer, Youth IGF Canada
  • 11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
  • Panel 2: How democracy is faring in the deepfake era

Speakers

  • Victoria Kuketz, Catalyst and Public Policy Forum (Moderator) 
  • Suzie Dunn, Dalhousie University 
  • Justin Ling
  • Marlene Floyd, Microsoft Canada
  • 1:10 - 1:35 P.M.
  • Keynote 2: Our children deserve better
    Frances Haugen, McGill Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy 
  • 1:35 – 2:35 P.M.
  • Panel 3: Shaping our shared digital future: Canadian interventions in global internet governance

Speakers

  • Aaron Shull, CIGI (Moderator)
  • Charles Noir, CIRA
  • Sarah Wyld, Tucows
  • Natalie Campbell, Internet Society 
  • Kelly Anderson, Global Affairs Canada
  • 3:00 - 3:30 P.M.
  • Town hall: How developments in global AI policy and law could re-shape the internet
    Anne Nguyen, Conseil de l'innovation du Quebec
  • 3:30 - 4:30 P.M.
  • Panel 4: Lessons from the globe: How the Online Harms Act will work in practice

Speakers

  • Stephanie Taylor, The National Post (Moderator) 
  • Chantal Bernier, Dentons 
  • Cynthia Khoo, CitizenLab
  • Open Ripley, Department of Justice Canada
  • Kathryn Hill, MediaSmarts
  • 4:30 - 4:40 P.M.
  • Closing and thanks  
    Victoria Kuketz, Catalyst & Public Policy Forum

Presenting sponsor

Thank you to CIRA, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, for making this event a success. 

 

View the photos from CIGF 2024

Gallery