As online hate rises, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon wants Canadians to be nicer on the web
Global News
In an exclusive interview with Global News, Governor General Mary Simon is urging Canadians to show more respect online -- and says a lack of it has affected her personally.
From public figures to your average Canadian, anyone can be a target when it comes to hateful online comments.
That includes Canada’s governor general, Mary Simon, who has made it her mission to help foster more civility online.
In an exclusive interview with Global News on Tuesday, Simon said the country needs to show more respect online — and says a lack of it has affected her personally.
In February 2023, Simon’s office said it would be disabling comments on her social media platforms because of the abusive, misogynistic and racist comments, including violent threats.
It came as the rate of police-reported hate crimes, which is when a person is targeted for their identity, has risen 77 per cent between 2019 and 2022, according to Statistics Canada.
And cyber hate crimes, which include harassment, rose 138 per cent from 2018 to 2022, which is the most recent year for which data is available.
Simon says online abuse is also forcing women who might want to go into public life to reconsider.
“They start to worry about their families and at some point they will say, ‘I am not doing this anymore,'” she said.
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