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