Why It's Important
Online harms refer to damaging content and activities on the internet, including misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, harassment, and cyberbullying. For community leaders, economic development officers, and small businesses, these are not just abstract social issues; they are direct threats to local stability and prosperity. Malicious online activity can erode public trust in local institutions, disrupt emergency response efforts with false information, and damage a community’s reputation, impacting tourism and investment. According to a report from the Council of Canadian Academies, online hate can lead to significant economic costs, including reduced productivity and increased healthcare expenses. Recognizing and addressing these harms is crucial for maintaining a safe and welcoming environment, ensuring business continuity, and fostering a resilient local economy where people feel secure to live, work, and engage.
History
The concept of online harms has evolved alongside the internet itself. In the early days of bulletin board systems (BBS) and Usenet groups, harmful content was often confined to niche communities. With the rise of social media platforms in the mid-2000s, the speed and scale at which harmful content could spread increased exponentially. This created new challenges for moderation and regulation. In Canada, public and political awareness has grown significantly, leading to various legislative efforts and public consultations. A key moment was the federal government’s initiative to develop a legislative and regulatory framework to address harmful content online, signaling a national recognition that self-regulation by platforms was insufficient to protect citizens from widespread harms.
Examples
Misinformation during BC Wildfires: During recent wildfire seasons in British Columbia, social media platforms were flooded with misinformation and conspiracy theories about the fires’ origins, hampering official communication efforts from organizations like the BC Wildfire Service and causing confusion and distress among affected residents.
Online Harassment of Canadian Journalists: Numerous Canadian journalists, particularly women and racialized individuals, have faced coordinated online harassment campaigns designed to silence them and discredit their work. This directly impacts the public’s access to reliable local information, a cornerstone of a functional community.
Hate Speech Targeting 2SLGBTQI+ Community Events: Public institutions like the Oakville Public Library have faced intense online hate and in-person threats for hosting 2SLGBTQI+ inclusive events such as Drag Queen Story Time, forcing them to increase security and demonstrating how online hate can spill into real-world conflict and expense.
Anti-Immigrant Disinformation in Rural Communities: Small towns in Canada have seen targeted disinformation campaigns on social media that aim to stoke fear and division about the arrival of newcomers or temporary foreign workers, creating social friction and undermining community cohesion efforts.
Software and Tools
Managing online harms requires a mix of platform-native features and external resources. These tools can help small teams monitor and moderate their online spaces more effectively:
Facebook/Instagram Moderation Tools: Built-in features that allow page administrators to hide comments with certain keywords, block problematic users, and set up filters to automatically manage comment sections. These are free and essential first-line-of-defence tools.
X (formerly Twitter) Safety Modes: Features like “Safety Mode,” blocking, and muting help users curate their experience and limit exposure to harmful interactions. Organizations can use these to protect their official accounts.
Canva Magic Write: While primarily a design tool, its AI writer can help draft clear, calm, and professional-sounding responses or public statements when addressing misinformation, saving time and reducing emotional labour for staff. A free tier is available.
Jigsaw’s Harassment Manager: An open-source tool designed for journalists and public figures that helps sort and document abusive comments on social media, making it easier to manage and report large-scale harassment. It is free to use.
MediaSmarts: A Canadian not-for-profit that provides a vast library of free digital and media literacy resources, games, and guides to help educate teams and community members on how to spot misinformation.
AI Considerations
Artificial intelligence is dramatically increasing the sophistication and scale of online harms. AI tools can generate highly convincing “deepfakes” (fake videos or audio), realistic but false text, and deploy armies of bots to spread disinformation or harass individuals. This can be used to create fake evidence in a local dispute, impersonate a community leader, or manipulate public opinion during a municipal election. The risk to local economic development is significant, as AI-driven campaigns can destroy reputations and disrupt community projects.
However, AI can also be part of the solution. Many platforms use AI to detect and flag hate speech or misinformation before it spreads widely. For local organizations, the key is to foster critical thinking and not take digital content at face value. A “human-in-the-loop” approach is essential—always verify critical information from a trusted source. Do not enter sensitive or private community data into public AI models, as this information can be used for training and may become public.
FAQ
In Canada, hate speech is defined in the Criminal Code as the willful promotion of hatred against an identifiable group based on colour, race, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or disability.
You should contact your local police service or the RCMP if you receive direct threats of violence, if someone is repeatedly contacting you after you have asked them to stop, or if someone is publishing your private information (doxing).
Doxing is the act of researching and broadcasting a person’s private information, such as their home address, phone number, or workplace, on the internet with malicious intent.
Consistently publish accurate, timely, and easy-to-understand information from official sources. This builds your organization’s credibility and makes you a trusted voice in the community.
Hiding a comment makes it invisible to everyone except the person who posted it and their friends, which can be a subtle way to de-escalate without the user knowing they’ve been moderated. Blocking is a more permanent solution for repeat offenders.
Freedom of speech is a protected right in Canada but has reasonable limits. It does not protect expression that constitutes hate speech, defamation, or direct threats of violence against an individual or group.
Pro Tips
Strengthen your critical‑thinking skills so you can recognise misinformation, harassment, grooming, and other online harms. Practice evaluating the credibility of websites and social posts by checking author credentials, cross‑referencing facts with trusted sources, and noticing emotionally charged language designed to provoke a reaction. By refining your own judgement and sharing what you learn with peers, you help create a safer online environment for yourself and your community.
Checklist
External Resources
The Samara Centre for Democracy – Democracy 360 Report: A report that measures Canadians’ relationship with their democracy, including insights into online political discourse and toxicity.
YWCA Canada – Block Hate: A Guide for Women Facing Online Hate: Provides practical guidance and resources for women and gender-diverse people experiencing online harassment.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC): Offers guidance and information on protecting personal information online and understanding your privacy rights in Canada.
Digital Public Square: A Canadian research group that studies digital threats to democracy and provides analysis on topics like disinformation and platform governance.