Social Media Threats Against Quebec Politicians Shot Up More Than 5X Since Last Year

Provincial police have seen a big jump.
Social Media Threats Against Quebec Politicians Shot Up More Than 5X Since Last Year
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Senior Writer

If you thought you'd seen more local internet trolls lately, you'd be right. Social media threats are on the rise in Quebec, according to Sûreté du Québec communications director Guy Lapointe.

He tweeted on September 17 that the number of online threats reported to Quebec police has more than doubled in the past year — 713 reports in 2019 versus 1,748 in 2020.

For politicians, it's an even bigger leap: reports have more than quintupled, said Lapointe in a second tweet.

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300% The approximate increase in social media threats against Quebec politicians

He specified that members of the Assemblée nationale du Québec have been "particularly targeted by threatening comments on social networks since the pandemic" — 53 reports in 2019 versus 300 reports in 2020.

News recently broke that the provincial police are investigating threats made over Facebook against Premier François Legault. 

Parti Québécois leader Pascal Bérubé also recently filed a police complaint regarding a Twitter threat.

"Don't get yourself in trouble. Think twice before you write anything," warned Lapointe. 

To report a threat to the Sûreté du Québec, contact them here.

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  • Ilana Belfer
  • Ilana Belfer

    Editor

    Ilana Belfer (she/her) was an editor for MTL Blog. She's obsessed with great storytelling in all its forms having worked in print, radio, television, theatre, and digital media over the past decade. A graduate of Carleton University’s journalism program, her words have appeared in The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, The Kit, VICE, Salon, Foodism TO & more — covering everything from cam girls to COVID-19. Ilana can usually be found with her dog André, tracking down Montreal’s prettiest ruelles vertes and tastiest treats.

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