Canada Still Lacks Foreign Influence Registry, Advocates Voice Worries

Canada is lagging behind its allies in establishing a public registry for foreign agents, with an operational foreign influence database still not in place six months after draft rules were introduced. Civil society organizations and diaspora groups are now pressing the government to expedite the process, expressing worries about ongoing foreign interference.

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This has been dragging on for far too long … It’s not like these foreign authoritarian adversaries are pulling back on these operations, they’re only intensifying.

Marcus Kolga, a human rights advocate and founder of DisinfoWatch, stated that the delay is unacceptable, especially as foreign authoritarian adversaries are intensifying their operations. "Because right now there really isn’t a consequence to interfering in our democracy. Whether it’s disinformation, transnational repression, (the consequence) just isn’t there," Kolga said, highlighting the lack of repercussions for such activities.

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Because right now there really isn’t a consequence to interfering in our democracy. Whether it’s disinformation, transnational repression, (the consequence) just isn’t there.

The Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act (FITAA), introduced in 2024, aims to address this gap following reports of alleged foreign meddling in Canadian politics. Sarah Teich, a Toronto-based lawyer and president of the Human Rights Action Group, suggested that the delay might be a matter of political will. Her organization, along with 32 others, signed an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, urging the government to finalize the FITAA regulations and appoint Anton Boegman as Canada's first Foreign Influence Transparency Commissioner.

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I think we have to assume at this point it’s about political will.

Boegman, former chief electoral officer of British Columbia, was nominated in March, but he cannot officially assume the role until the regulations are finalized. The issue has largely fallen out of public and political attention, despite persistent warnings from Canadian intelligence services about the ongoing threat of foreign influence and interference operations. A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree stated that the government would "have more to share on this matter very soon."

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We will have more to share on this matter very soon.