Canadian politicians have increasingly taken to social media to campaign as well as communicate with constituents, sharing updates on policies, local events, emergencies or government initiatives.
But stories have emerged of constituents being blocked by their representatives. Should Canadian politicians be free to block their own constituents?
Some politicians claim the blocking is to combat increased online harassment, while constituents have claimed that simply being critical of policies or initiatives is enough to get them blocked.
Some recent cases in Canada include federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault being asked to unblock Ezra Levant on X in 2023, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith blocking constituents on X in 2023 and Montréal Mayor Valérie Plante blocking comments on X and Instagram in 2024. In 2018, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson was sued by three local Ottawa activists after blocking them on X.
UCP has been doing it for years, for anyone who dares question them.
And no, it shouldn’t be allowed. Even in threatening or harassment situations, where the appropriate response would be calling in a third party like the police to evaluate, they shouldn’t be allowed to prevent others from speaking and to be heard. Because if we’ve learned anything from these government officials as of late, they are doing everything in their power to suppress freedom of thought, association, or speech. Any barrier that enables that, like this does, needs to be broken down.