From its inception, PEN Canada has defended the right to freedom of expression enshrined in article 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Book banning and challenges

In 2024, PEN International raised concerns about a worldwide surge in book bans in such countries as Belarus, Brazil, China, Hungary, the Russian Federation, Türkiye and the USA.This trend has been particularly evident within the USA where PEN America has documented more than 10,000 instances of book bans in public schools since 2021. Most of the targeted books address racism, sexuality, gender, or history.

To combat the issue at home, PEN Canada has participated in several public discussions, including the Ontario Library Association’s 2024 Freedom to Read Week panel “Shelf Control” and the 2024 Hugh MacLennan Lecture, “Book Bans and their Impact on Canadian Communities.” Whether it be bad faith challenges, presumption of access, or how to support intellectual freedom without bringing harm to marginalized communities, book bans are impacting Canadian communities.

Digital Transnational Repression

Digital Transnational Repression (DTR) is the use of digital technologies by a state as a means to silence or stifle dissent from abroad. 

Authoritarian regimes use DTR to discredit, smear, undermine, harass, and/or threaten dissidents and activists — many of whom are writers or journalists – who have fled to other countries. These digital attacks can last for years and involve the use of disinformation and the weaponization of technologies that were meant to foster transparency and accountability.

PEN Canada has published an annual report on DTR, partnered on research studies, roundtable discussions and recommendations, and interviewed writers and journalists who have been targeted within Canada. 

Online Harms

Navigating freedom of expression issues in online environments presents complex problems which require nuanced solutions. 

In early 2024, a long-awaited online harms bill was introduced in Parliament. PEN Canada’s Canadian and Legal Affairs Committee is monitoring the Canadian government’s efforts to institute legislation against misinformation and online harms. PEN also monitors Canadian legislation on online harms through its membership with Toronto Metropolitan University’s Center for Free Expression’s Online Harms Network.

How we do this work 

PEN Canada’s Canadian Issues Program focuses on free expression issues of national interest. It is overseen by the Canadian and Legal Affairs Committee (CLAC). The Canadian and Legal Affairs Committee (CLAC) monitors laws and actions that limit or violate the right to free expression guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The CLAC analyzes current freedom of expression issues, publishes statements on matters of public interest, flags concerns in impending legislation and, when appropriate, joins interventions on specific laws or measures that threaten freedom of expression in Canada.

PEN Canada has been involved in several important legal cases that defended freedom of expression in Canada. Over the years, the CLAC has been involved in more than 70 cases, from book censorship to libel law, and journalistic, artistic, and academic freedom. 

Learn more about the committee.

Previous projects

Know Your Rights Know Your Rights is a series of guides, op-ed’s and tools aimed at helping Canadians understand their legal rights to free expression and privacy. The Know Your Rights series is partially funded by IFEX. See our current publications:

Free Expression Matters Each year, PEN International prepares a report assessing the state of freedom of expression in the country in which its congress is held. In October 2015, PEN International released a report on free expression in Canada ahead of the 81st congress in Québec City, Québec. Free Expression Matters is a series of blog posts that breaks down key free expression issues in Canada based on this report. Click here to read more.

Censorship Tracker Censorship Tracker is a crowd-sourced mapping tool that records limitations on the right to free expression. The map tracks instances of censorship across Canada so that we can see how censorship plays out across all provinces and territories, and how it changes over time.  Censorship Tracker is led by PEN Canada, in partnership with the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE).