So today I wrote a bunch of emails to different agencies and my MLA’s office to
try and get Saskatchewan politicians off of Twitter, BlueSky, and YouTube in
place of Mastadon and PeerTube.
Edit: I got an email back from the conflict of interest commissioner saying they
do not have the ability to do anything, unless it is brought forward in the
legislature, I am considering forwarding this off to my MLA’s office. I sent
different letters off to different agencies but they look a lot the same. I had
another edit written for another activism project I am working on with the
Federal government, similar to this one. I have 3 going on at once, even for a
very active activist I think 3 is a little much. Two is probably to many at one
time but hey I did not know until I tried. Address City, province postal code
Your email Date Dear Commissioner, I am writing as a concerned Saskatchewan
resident regarding the use of US-owned social media platforms, specifically X,
BlueSky, and YouTube, by elected officials for public and official
communication. Recent reports indicate that X has been using artificial
intelligence to generate child sexual abuse material and other forms of illegal
pornography. BlueSky, on the other hand, has been selling user data to US-based
data brokers. The continued use of these platforms by politicians raises serious
ethical, reputational, and governance concerns for Saskatchewan officials and
the institutions they represent. When politicians maintain accounts on these
platforms, citizens who interact with them may have their personal information
collected, processed, and stored outside of Canada, exposing them to foreign
jurisdiction and creating risks to public trust. The continued use of X by some
Saskatchewan politicians raises particular ethical and data‑sovereignty risks. I
recommend that these accounts be removed and that all politicians evaluate their
social media policies to ensure alignment with Canadian standards for
responsible governance and ethical conduct. Similarly, politicians should
consider moving away from YouTube and other US-hosted platforms and explore
Canadian alternatives, including the possibility of establishing
Saskatchewan-based Mastodon, Lemmy, and PeerTube servers to host social media
and video content locally and securely. I respectfully request that your office
review the ethical and governance implications of elected officials using
US-owned social media platforms and provide guidance or recommendations to
ensure politicians’ practices reflect responsible, ethical, and transparent
communication standards. Encouraging the use of Canadian-hosted, open-source
platforms would reduce reliance on foreign services, improve public trust, and
strengthen the ethical standards of government communications. Thank you for
your attention to this matter. I would appreciate any guidance or action your
office can provide. Sincerely, Reann Legge I use the pronouns she/her