ETHI Committee Meeting

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Minutes of Proceedings

Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI)

44th Parliament, 1st Session

Meeting 97

Wednesday, December 13, 2023, 4:38 p.m. to 6:34 p.m.

Room 415, Wellington Building, 197 Sparks Street

Televised

Presiding

John Brassard, Chair (Conservative)

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Members of the Committee present

Liberal

Conservative

Bloc Québécois

René Villemure

NDP

Matthew Green

Acting Members present

• Viviane Lapointe for Pam Damoff (Liberal)

• Karen Vecchio for Damien C. Kurek (Conservative)

In attendance

Library of Parliament

• Alexandra Savoie, Analyst

• Maxime-Olivier Thibodeau, Analyst

Use of Social Media Platforms for Data Harvesting and Unethical or Illicit Sharing of Personal Information with Foreign Entities

Witnesses

Google Canada

• Jeanette Patell, Head of Canada Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google and YouTube

• Shane Huntley, Senior Director, Threat Analysis Group, Google

Meta Platforms Inc.

• Rachel Curran, Head of Public Policy, Canada

• Nathaniel Gleicher, Head of Security Policy

• Lindsay Hundley, Influence Operations Policy Lead

X Corporation

• Wifredo Fernández, Head of Government Affairs, United States of America and Canada

• Josh Harris, Senior Privacy and Data Protection Counsel

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h) and the motion adopted by the committee on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, the committee resumed its study of the use of social media platforms for data harvesting and unethical or illicit sharing of personal information with foreign entities.

The witnesses made statements and answered questions.

Committee Business

The committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to committee business.

Motion

Michael Barrett moved, — That, given the testimony heard from the SDTC whistleblower on Monday December 11, 2023 before the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, in which the individual states that the Minister of Industry lied before this committee regarding the government’s knowledge and handling of serious conflict of interest and misappropriation of taxpayer money, the committee immediately expand its study into SDTC for an additional six meetings, and that the committee hear testimony from the Minister of Industry, the SDTC whistleblower, Officials from the Privy Council Office, Industry Officials, Annette Verschuren, Leah Lawrence, Guy Ouimet, Andrée-Lise Méthot and all other witnesses deemed relevant to the committee’s study.

Debate arose thereon.

The question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Michael Barrett, Jacques Gourde, Karen Vecchio — 3;

NAYS: Parm Bains, Mona Fortier, Mike Kelloway, Iqra Khalid, Viviane Lapointe, René Villemure — 6.

At 6:27 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 6:31 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.

Use of Social Media Platforms for Data Harvesting and Unethical or Illicit Sharing of Personal Information with Foreign Entities

The committee proceeded to give drafting instructions to the analysts for a draft report.

It was agreed, — That members of the committee submit their suggested recommendations to the draft report for the study of social media and foreign entities to the clerk of the committee no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 15, 2024.

At 6:34 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Nancy Vohl

Clerk of the committee