What is a citizens’ assembly?

Citizens’ assemblies and similar processes have been used across Canada and Europe to provide detailed guidance to governments and decision-makers concerning complex public policies. These assemblies are typically made up of several dozen randomly selected participants who bring a range of perspectives as well as represent demographic the profile of a specific jurisdiction. Participation is voluntary.

Working with a team of independent facilitators, members of a citizens’ assembly learn about an important public issue. They hear from experts, stakeholders, and other citizens as they work toward a consensus concerning their priorities. Citizens’ assemblies issue detailed public reports that explain their work and make recommendations, which are used by governments and other public authorities to create public policies.

What are the Canadian Citizens’ Assemblies on Democratic Expression?

In early 2020, the Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression was created to better understand, anticipate, and respond to the effects of new digital technologies on public life and Canadian democracy. The Commission is composed of experts who, over the course of three years, will address different aspects of the effects of digital technologies.

For each of these three years, a new citizens’ assembly of randomly selected Canadian residents will be convened to complement the work of the Commission and provide advice concerning how governments and industry should regulate these technologies.

The members of the 2020 Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Expression were selected in March and convened in September 2020. This Assembly was tasked with making recommendations to protect democratic expression and shield people from hatred, misinformation, and exploitation online.

The mandate of the 2020 Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Expression was to:

• Learn about the principles of democratic expression and the impacts of digital technologies;

• Review existing institutions and regulations that safeguard both democratic speech and the public interest;

• Consider how other countries are meeting this challenge; and

• Make recommendations to strengthen Canada’s response to new digital technologies and reduce the harm caused by their misuse.

What did the 2020 Citizens’ Assembly recommend?

The 2020 Assembly’s recommendations aimed to strengthen oversight and accountability for digital platforms; enhance international regulatory cooperation and enforcement; reduce misinformation and empower users; establish new digital rights; ensure user safety, accountability and awareness; and support independent journalism and Canadian content.

Among other recommendations, the 2020 Citizens’ Assembly proposed that the government:

• Establish a new digital platforms regulator to provide public oversight;

• Require platforms to significantly enhance their content moderation systems;

• Establish a tribunal or ‘e-courts’ system to adjudicate complaints; 

• Establish user ownership of personal data as a norm and provide users with significantly more control over their data and content filters; and

• Strengthen public education to create awareness of digital safety and civility.

To see more recommendations, please read the full report.

What’s the plan for the 2021 and 2022 Citizens’ Assemblies?

The selection for the 2021 Assembly will occur in late spring, and the Assembly will convene in late September or early October. The subjects of the 2021 and 2022 Citizens’ Assemblies on Democratic Expression have not yet been announced.

How will these Citizens’ Assemblies make an impact?

Each Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Expression issues a public report containing its recommendations. This report is shared with the federal heritage minister, his/her provincial and territorial counterparts, and other parliamentarians, researchers, and stakeholders. The reports are also shared with the Commission on Democratic Expression to inform their work. The Assemblies’ recommendations are a welcome and useful contribution to the work being done by governments to ensure that existing regulations and institutions reflect the perspectives and needs of Canadians.

Do members have to be experts or familiar with social media and digital technologies to participate?

Members do not need any specialized knowledge. Whether they rely on a smartphone or a landline, or spend most of their time online or outside, their varied perspectives are what matter most. Each member of the Assembly is given enough time to learn everything they need to know to make a valuable contribution. 

What do Assembly members do?

Assembly members hear from leading experts and policy makers, and are provided with time to ask questions and discuss what they’ve heard. Following these presentations, the members work through a series of small group discussions, first evaluating, and then gradually reaching an agreement on, the best actions and recommendations.

Each member of the 2020 Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Expression attended 18 meetings from September to December 2020. Each member contributed 43 hours to these meetings, with a cumulative contribution of 1,677 hours. Members spent many more hours reading and viewing resources, reviewing working documents, and making edits to the report drafts.

13 experts generously gave their time and shared their knowledge with the 2020 Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Expression. These presenters included Elizabeth Dubois, Brendan de Caires, Laura Tribe, and Ron Deibert, among others.

Who was selected to serve on the Assembly, and why?

12,500 households across Canada were randomly selected by Canada Post to receive an invitation. One member of the household was allowed to volunteer.

To read the invitation letter, click here.

Nearly 400 invitees volunteered for the Citizens’ Assembly, and from this pool of eligible volunteers, 42 were selected by civic lottery. The civic lottery is a methodology which ensures that members are selected at random, but in a way that broadly represents the demographics of Canada — balancing for gender parity, geographic representation from all ten provinces and three territories, and representations of age groups, native language (English and French), and Indigenous communities.

Who was eligible to serve on the Assembly?

Canadian citizens or permanent residents aged 18 or older were eligible to serve on the Assembly.

Elected representatives, employees of provincial and federal departments working actively on related regulations, or individuals employed by major technology companies that provide digital services were not eligible to serve on the Assembly.

Which languages were used during the Assembly?

The Assembly worked in both English and French. Simultaneous interpretation was provided during plenary sessions. Small group discussions were broken up into English and French. Bilingual staff were on hand at all times to help with translation-interpretation as needed. 

Were Assembly members paid to serve or compensated for lost wages?

No. Assembly members were not paid or compensated for their time, as participation on a citizens’ assembly is a matter of public service. However, subsidies for childcare and eldercare, internet access, and technology supports —if requested— were provided. Assembly staff worked to support members in making an effective contribution to the process.

Who funded the Assembly?

The Assembly was funded by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage and the McConnell Foundation. 

What is the Commission on Democratic Expression?

The Commission was established to examine how digital technologies are shaping Canadian society and democracy and to produce three public reports on different facets of this topic over three years. Several esteemed Canadians — including the former Chief Justice of Canada, the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin — are serving on the Commission. This initiative is led by Canada’s Public Policy Forum — an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization and a registered charity with more than 200 member organizations encompassing business, federal, provincial, and territorial governments, academic institutions, unions, and non-profit organizations.