Federal surveillance of pro-Israel social media accounts was part of a larger Canadian Heritage project to find "promising regulatory avenues to curb online content," according to Access To Information records. The specific accounts monitored were not disclosed, as reported by Blacklock’s.

In 2023, the Liberal government, led by Justin Trudeau, explored international internet censorship practices, backed by groups like the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and the NCCM.

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"We’ve seen great progress," said former Justice Minister Arif Virani in December 2023, who provided no examples of legal content they would censor when asked by reporters.

Since 2021, Cabinet has introduced two bills, C-36 and C-63, to censor legal internet content. Both failed due to opposition from Conservative MPs, academia, and free speech advocates.

PM Mark Carney uses a heckler's interruption to justify online censorship, blaming the US for a "sea of misogyny, antisemitism, hatred, conspiracy theories," describing it as a "pollution" that "washes over our borders." pic.twitter.com/TV2auh3jTt

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) April 11, 2025

Despite professing support for free speech, Trudeau repeatedly stated that legal internet content requires regulation, as he testified at the Emergencies Act inquiry in September 2022.

The now-former prime minister believes social media, a "petri dish" for "anger" and "hate," is "destabilizing our democracy" in an unprecedented and challenging way.

On April 10, Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly stated his intent to address "online pollution" through censorship. As of now, no new legislation has been introduced.

However, a federal consultant's memo detailed a project to engage policymakers and law enforcement on digital regulation, drawing from European models, to curb online content threatening Canadian communities.

Rebel News asked Torontonians about Putin's hate speech law in Russia. Most criticized it, praising Canada's free speech values. But the surprise came when we revealed it's actually Trudeau's proposed internet censorship law, Bill C-63.https://t.co/hZKpiUSRx6

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) March 11, 2024

The Department of Canadian Heritage spent over $128,000 to monitor social media posts by Canadians supporting Israel or criticizing Justin Trudeau after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

A U.K. firm, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), was hired to monitor "right-wing responses" to the Israel-Gaza conflict from January to June 2024. Their project aimed to digitally map domestic and foreign entities spreading "extremism, hate, and disinformation." 

The department refused to name the surveilled accounts, according to Blacklock’s, citing "personal information" or "information obtained in confidence."

DOCUMENTS: @CdnHeritage surveillance of Twitter posts by friends of Israel was part of larger gov't investigation of "promising regulatory avenues" of internet censorship.  https://t.co/sK05orKLf7 @CIJAinfo @bnaibrithcanada pic.twitter.com/wMO91HyvT0

— Blacklock's Reporter (@mindingottawa) July 24, 2025

Internal reports flagged "right-wing extremist" tweets alleging Trudeau indirectly funded Hamas via UNRWA donations. Others accused groups like CUPE and the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) of supporting terrorism. 

The ISD appeared to twist legitimate concerns about antisemitic protests and government inaction into dangerous rhetoric, warning that influential pro-Israel Twitter accounts were "trying to equate support for Palestinian civilians with support for Hamas."

A 2022 survey by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research showed 72% of Palestinians support Hamas. In May, another survey by the same group indicated that 75% are satisfied with Hamas's "war performance."

Blacklock's also examined A Snapshot Of Canadian Right Wing Extremists’ Discussions About The Israel-Hamas Conflict, which deemed criticism of Jewish MP Ya’ara Saks, regarding government inaction and UNRWA support, as hate speech. Ironically, the report stated pro-Israel Canadians felt most targeted.