by Frank Bergman
Canada’s federal government has quietly admitted that Parliament has been secretly maintaining a database cataloguing what citizens say online about elected officials, including tracking comments by category, tone, and identity-based content.
The revelation is fueling fresh concerns that the country’s political class is building a state-run speech monitoring system aimed at Canadians criticizing their representatives online.
Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Mellon disclosed the existence of the system during testimony before a parliamentary committee.
Mellon described it as a “very robust records management system” used to track “every single incident” involving Members of Parliament.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the database allows parliamentary officials to sort and analyze social media posts about MPs.
The system specifically logs criticisms, including comments categorized as “misogynistic,” “abusive,” or identity-related.
Parliament Monitoring Online Speech About MPs
Mellon acknowledged that the system is capable of breaking down complaints by multiple classifications, including gender-based harassment and identity-focused content.
However, officials refused to explain exactly what information is being stored, how long records are retained, who has access to the files, or what standards are being used to determine whether a comment qualifies for inclusion.
A spokesperson for the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms confirmed that the files may contain both criminal and non-criminal complaints.
However, they declined to provide additional details, citing security concerns.
That admission means Parliament is not simply tracking direct threats or criminal conduct.